ASCOT

3:45 CORONATION STAKES (GROUP 1) (FILLIES) (CLASS 1) (3yo) 1m

CARIBBEAN SUNSET 9-0 ~ Dermot Weld’s filly has shown much improved form this season and her two wins in Group company back this up. Her win in the Group 3 Leopardstown 1000 Guineas Trial was her best but with several market fancies disappointing for various reasons she could be faltered slightly by the bare form. Her victory in the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial looks much better after the 2nd Katiyra has subsequently finished 3rd in the Oaks but that was over an extra ½mile and if you take her out of the race the form doesn’t look anything special. Next time out in the Irish 1000 Guineas she couldn’t confirm form with Halfway To Heaven over the extra furlong as she could only finish 4th passing the post. A tough, game and consistent filly she looks sure to run her race but what she lacks is that bit of class and running into the prize money looks the best connections can hope for.

INFALLIBLE 9-0 ~ Impressive winner of the Group 3 Nell Gywn on her seasonal reappearance before finishing 4th in the English 1000 Guineas. She finished about half a length behind Spacious and the pair re-oppose again today. Spacious who is also owned by Cheveley Park Stud carried the owner’s first colours that day and she does so again. Despite the small margin between the two Spacious is fancied to confirm the form given she has now had the benefit of a run and the trainer of Infallible has raised doubts about the ground suiting his filly. Still even with Spacious in the line up she must have serious claims in today’s race after her effort in the English 1000 Guineas and she has to be respected.

LOVE OF DUBAI 9-0 ~ Well placed by her trainer to win the Italian 1000 Guineas and finish 3rd in the German version. She had been running in Listed races in the UK but she had only managed to win a maiden at Warwick before her Group 3 victory in Italy. This is far tougher than the races she has been contesting on the continent and she looks sure to struggle against these Group 1 fillies.

LUSH LASHES 9-0 ~ Stayed on in eyecatching fashion when 6th in the English 1000 Guineas and she looked sure to appreciate a step up in trip. Next time out in the Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York over 1¼ miles she routed the field and was catapulted to the head of the Oaks market. She didn’t appear to stay the trip in the Oaks but the drop back to a mile didn’t look the obvious response. She is sure to be staying on well at the finish but judging by her run in the English 1000 Guineas she is also likely to be outpaced by the principles. She has valid place claims but others look sure to get first run on her and she may not haul them back.

MODERN LOOK 9-0 ~ In the Listed Prix Imprudence she only finished about 1½ lengths behind Natagora and then on her last run in she comfortably won the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham. Both efforts came in testing ground however and today’s conditions will be far firmer than anything she has encountered previously. She has run on good ground in the French 1000 Guineas though and at Longchamp she finished 4th behind Zarkava. She was unlucky not to finish 3rd though as she was squeezed up going into the final furlong when she looked to have the beating of Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Halfway To Heaven. However she has a fight on her hands to confirm the form with the 6th Psalm who didn’t have the run of the race but was still only beaten a length. She still has to improve to win and racing on ground that is a big unknown she is taken on.

MUTHABARA 9-0 ~ An obvious improver on anything she has shown so far this season as she looked awful in her coat when winning the Group 3 Fred Darling Stakes and not much better at Newmarket when 7th in the English 1000 Guineas. She also had a training setback before the latter race but it’s been reported she has had a much better preparation for today’s race and is looking much better in her coat. She’ll probably have to improve though if she wants to figure as her form in the Group 3 Nell Gywn and Listed race at Sandown is nothing special. Still despite the bare form not being great the impression she made when sweeping late in both was impressive. John Dunlop’s filly looks to be the forgotten horse in the race and she has to enter calculations.

NADOODH 9-0 ~ An unlucky 5th in the English 1000 Guineas as if she had not run into a wall of horses when coming with a strong late challenge she might have won. On the evidence of that performance she was sent off favourite for the Irish 1000 Guineas but she was a major disappointment finishing a well beaten 7th. She has since joined a much more competent trainer but Mark Johnson hasn’t had her long and he has said she is more overweight than he would ideally like her to be. If she could bounce back to her Newmarket form and with a clear run she could well win. A watching brief is advised though as she hasn’t been long with her new trainer and her preparation has not been ideal. Once she has had a reasonable time with her new handler though he should be more than capable of getting her back to her best and she’ll be a live contender for races like the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes latter on in the season.

PSALM 9-0 ~ Given a good educational ride on debut when finding only her stable mate Kitty Matchum too good. That was an encouraging effort and her one and only run as a juvenile. So it was something of a surprise to see her sent off 5/4 favourite in a decent field for the Group 3 Leopardstown 1,000 Guineas Trial Stakes. However the saddle slipped almost as soon as she left the gate and she never figured as a result. Next time out in the French 1000 Guineas she was the stables first string on jockey bookings but was given too much to do in the straight. Last turning in she stayed on well to finish 6th but considering the 2nd, 3rd and 4th were all in a prominent position going into the straight she did well to catch them up as they had the run of the race. Her less fancied stable companion Halfway To Heaven, who the run of the race and finished 3rd, has since gone on to win the Irish 1000 Guineas. Johnny Murtagh has chosen to ride Psalm over Halfway To Heaven twice already and it suggests the former is higher in the Ballydoyle pecking order. It looks like we haven’t seen the best of the Sadler’s Well colt yet and expect further improvement from a trainer/jockey combination that has been making hey in Group 1’s this week.

RAYMI COYA 9-0 ~ Progressive last season and it culminated in her winning the Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket. That was a messy race so that does raise a question marks regarding the form but on her reappearance in a Listed race at York she made a winning seasonal debut, albeit in another messy race. The fact that both victories came in messy races it raises the question, is she flattered by the form or will she prove better for a solid run race? Still her win in the Listed race was franked by the 3rd Festivale earlier on in the week as she went on to win the Listed Sandringham Handicap Stakes. The fact that she also emerged as the best horse in the race at the weights only confirms the impression that the form of the race is still good. Marco Botti’s filly has to improve significantly to figure today but she looks sure to put up a bold bid if just lacking that bit of class.

SPACIOUS 9-0 ~ Looks the slightly better of the two Cheveley Park Stud fillies but only just as she managed to get the better of Infallible despite not having the advantage of a prep race. Her 2nd to Natagora in the English 1000 Guineas was impressive and she looks sure to improve on that effort. She looks sure to get further in time also but she possesses enough pace of a mile. With the likely improvement and the firm ground no problem she looks sure to run a massive race and it will take a good filly to beat her.

TUSCAN EVENING 9-0 ~ A maiden going into the Irish 1000 Guineas she looked sure to struggled going into the race. However she had shown some good form as a juvenile in Group company and she belied her odds of 66/1 to finish 2nd, only a head behind the winner Halfway To Heaven. After a stewards enquiry she was eventually placed 4th behind Caribbean Sunset who she had carried across the track as she angled out for a clear run. The way she finished her race at the Curragh suggests today’s stiffer track might help her reverse the placing with Dermot Weld’s filly and there shouldn’t too much between them at the finish. Expect another improved effort from a filly that looks to have progressed over the winter and for the step up to a mile. Still the Irish 1000 Guineas form looks the weakest of the three main 1000 Guineas run this season and she’ll need to improve again to figure. Despite this she still looks a massive price and considering she has already run on a road at the Curragh she could sneak a place.

CONCLUSION

A fascinating race with form well represented from the three main European 1000 Guineas as well as also the Italian and German versions.
The impression was that the Irish 1000 Guineas from wasn’t as strong as the English and French versions.
In the English 1000 Guineas Spacious looks the filly to take out of the race as she finished 2nd and looks to have further scope for improvement. The firm ground shouldn’t inconvenience her and in the owners first colours she’ll put up a bold show.
In the French 1000 Guineas despite Psalm finishing only 6th the impression she made when staying on well from last turning in hinted there is much more to come for the Ballydoyle filly. With the stable in flying form this week she looks a massive price to continue that run.
Both are hard to split though and both look to represent some value so not reason why they both can’t be back to cover the bases. Two at big prices that look interesting are Muthabara who looks sure to improve now she has come in her coat and had an ideal preparation and Tuscan Evening who stayed on well at the Curragh in identical ground so the stiffer track will only suit.

1pt WIN – SPACIOUS @ 10/3
1pt WIN – PSALM @ 9/1
1pt PLACE – TUSCAN EVENING @ 7.6

RESULT

SPACIOUS 4th = -1pt
PSALM 7th = -1pt
TUSCAN EVENING 9th = -1pt