THE CORONATION STAKES at Royal Ascot is undoubtedly one of the races of the meeting with three separate Guineas winners locking horns, but the the one I like has a much lower profile.
Ghanaati sets the standard as far as English form is concerned following her runaway victory in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, while it is difficult not to be impressed with French Guineas winner Elusive Wave.
Again clearly has the right attitude for the game after battling through treacherous conditions to win Ireland’s Guineas last time, but it is debatable whether she will be quite as effective on this quicker ground.
With so much top-class form on offer it is mightily difficult to pick the winner, so the one for the each-way punters could be John Oxx’s Baliyana.
The grey filly’s juvenile form is nothing to write home about as on two occasions she appeared to have her limitations exposed at Group level, but she looked a different animal on her reappearance.
She was not particularly well fancied for the Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown but showed a neat turn of foot to put what looked a competitive event to bed in a matter of strides.
This week’s banker for many people runs in the Albany Stakes in the shape of Aidan O’Brien’s Lillie Langtry.
O’Brien has been down on numbers in the feature races this year at the big meeting, but this filly looks to have a massive future.
She turned the form around with Jim Bolger’s Kitty Kiernan in a Group Three at Naas on her last start and it will take a special one to beat her.
Ed Dunlop had a handful of options to choose from for rapidly-improving colt Aqwaal, and the fact he has selected the King Edward VII Stakes shows the regard in which he is held.
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