Cover image courtesy of Ascot Racecourse
Friday’s card is an absolute cracker, with two Group 1s, a Group 2 and a Group 3 for juvenile fillies. Dermot Weld’s star 3-year-old filly, Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), who boasts three wins from four starts and was brilliant in taking out the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh on May 28, is arguably the headline act.
Race 1, G3 Albany S., (6 furlongs) 1200m - 11.30pm AEST (2.30pm local)
Prizemoney: £56,170 (AU$105,700)
The 2-year-old fillies kick things off on Friday in what appears to be an even edition of the Group 3 scamper.
Zoffany (Ire), who stood at Coolmore before passing away in 2021, has provided two winners - Illuminate (Ire) in 2015 and Main Edition (Ire) in 2018, while jockey Jamie Spencer and trainer Mick Channon are three-time winners.
Last year, it was the Aidan O’Brien-trained Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}), who was much the best and she later added the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf to her CV.
Meditate won in the hands of Ryan Moore and he has the sit this year aboard O’Brien’s Matrika (No Nay Never {USA}) - a Coolmore-owned maiden winner at the Curragh last month.
Matrika is a half-sister to the Group 1 hero and top-flight producing sire The Wow Signal (Ire) - a son of Starspangledbanner, while the filly’s brother, Unicorn Lion (Ire), is a multiple Group 3 winner and Group 1 placegetter in Japan.
Starspangledbanner filly Carla’s Way (Ire) is sure to be at the pointy end of the market after her impressive debut victory at Doncaster earlier this month.
The Simon and Ed Crisford-trained filly, who will be ridden by James Doyle, hails from the family of the great mare The Fugue (GB) (Dansili {GB}).
William Buick guided John Gosden’s Newfangled (USA) (New Approach {Ire}) to Albany S. glory in 2012 and the star jockey looks a great chance to add to his tally this year with George Boughey’s Soprano (Ire) - another filly by Starspangledbanner.
Starspangledbanner | Standing at Coolmore
A debut winner at Newmarket last month, Soprano is out of an unraced half-sister to the brilliant Choisir gelding Obviously (Ire).
Roger Varian’s Jabaara (Ire) is a talented Exceed And Excel filly who also debuted with a Newmarket victory in May.
Jabaara is out of the stakes performer Baheeja (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the filly’s grandam is the Listed scorer Hasty Words (Ire) (Polish Patriot {USA}).
Frankie Dettori has only tasted success in this race once and that was way back in 2006 aboard Jeremy Noseda’s Sander Camillo (USA) (Dixie Union {USA}). The Italian superstar will partner the unbeaten filly Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio {USA}) for Donnacha O’Brien.
Porta Fortuna is from a sister to this year’s G2 The Q22 hero and multiple Group 1 placegetter, Annabel Neasham’s Numerian (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}).
Race 2, G1 Commonwealth Cup, (6 furlongs) 1200m - 12.05am AEST (3.05pm local)
Prizemoney: £340,260 (AU$640,600)
The first Group 1 of the day has only been around since 2015, but in that short time, some top-class horses have been victorious. They include Muhaarar (GB), Caravaggio (USA), Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}).
The O’Brien-trained Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}) is almost certain to be the punters’ elect after he returned to form in the G2 Sandy Lane S. at Haydock. His G1 Phoenix S. triumph at the Curragh at two was simply breathtaking.
Little Big Bear is from the Listed victress Adventure Seeker (Fr) (Bering {GB}), making him a half-brother to the 2018 G3 Hobart Cup runner-up Andrea Mantegna (USA) (Giant’s Causeway {USA}).
Varian’s Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) may provide the stiffest test for Little Big Bear, especially if he rediscovers the form he showed when crushing his rivals in the G2 Mill Reef S. at Newbury last September.
Sakheer was bred by Drumlin Bloodstock and is closely related to the stakes winners Indian Maiden (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), Maid In India (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}) and Love Spirit (GB) (Elusive City {USA}).
Last year’s Cartier Champion European 2YO Filly, Lezoo (GB) - a daughter of Widden Stud’s gun sire Zoustar - is second-up here after being well beaten in the G1 1000 Guineas S. at Newmarket in May. She’s a quality filly, already with a Group 1 next to her name, and is certainly one of the main contenders.
The Ralph Beckett-trained Lezoo, who has the services of Dettori, is from the Group 3 victress Roger Sez (Ire) (Red Clubs {Ire}) and it could be a big day for that mare with her 2-year-old daughter, Navassa Island (Ire) (Territories {Ire}), set to contest the G3 Albany S.
Julie Camacho’s Shaquille (GB) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) is in a rich vein of form, heading into this on the back of four wins on the bounce.
Shaquille is a grandson of the Champion Older Mare in Ireland and Italy in 2002, Danehurst (GB) (Danehill {USA}).
Exceed And Excel is represented by Godolphin’s G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint hero Mischief Magic (Ire). Out of an unraced half-sister to the Group 1 scorer Ibn Khaldun (USA) (Dubai Destination {USA}), Mischief Magic is a brother to the Group 3 winner Sound And Silence (GB).
Exceed And Excel | Standing at Darley
Race 4, G1 Coronation S., (1 mile) 1600m - 1.20am AEST (4.20pm local)
Prizemoney: £340,260 (AU$640,600)
Irish trainer Dermot Weld’s lone win in this race came way back in 1978 with Sutton Place (Ire) (Tyrant {USA}), but he looks like a great chance to double his tally with this year’s favourite Tahiyra.
The Aga Khan homebred was a Group 1 winner at two and was named Champion 2YO Filly in Europe in 2022 and Champion 2YO Filly in Ireland in 2022. She has since added the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas to her resume this term and is likely to jump at an odds-on quote.
Tahiyra hails from a wonderful Aga Khan family, with her dam being the Listed scorer Tarana (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}). That makes this filly a half-sister to the triple Group 1 heroine Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}).
Tahiyra (Ire) | Image courtesy of Aga Khan Studs
Chris Hayes will partner Tahiyra, who is bred on the same cross as the outstanding mare Laurens (Fr) - a six-time elite-level winner.
Second behind Tahiyra in the Irish 1000 Guineas was Meditate. She is already a top-flight winner, having claimed the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland in November.
Meditate is from the winning Dalakhani (Ire) mare Pembina (Ire) and she herself is a half-sister to the stakes winners Albisola (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Johnny Barnes (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}).
Ryan Moore will be aboard Meditate and he has won this race twice - with Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in 2017 and Rizeena (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) in 2014.
Meditate (Ire) | Image courtesy of Coolmore
The Gosdens’ Queen For You (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) appears to be the only other winning hope, and while she is most promising, she does rise sharply in class.
Queen For You will be looking to emulate her dam, Fallen For You (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who won this race in 2012.
John and Thady Gosden won this race last year with Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), while John also got his hands on the trophy with Fallen For You and Nannina (GB) (Medicean {GB}) in 2006.
Jessica Harrington trained the 2020 Coronation S. heroine Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) and the 2018 victress Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), and she has Sounds Of Heaven (GB) (Kingman {GB}) engaged this year.
Sounds Of Heaven, who touched off Queen For You in Listed company at York last month, is closely related to The United States (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) - the 2016 G1 Ranvet S. winner.
Race 7, G2 King Edward VII S., (1 mile, 4 furlongs) 2400m - 2.35am AEST (5.35pm local)
Prizemoney: £141,775 (AU$292,400)
A small field of colts and geldings will face the starter in this Group 2 contest, which has been won by horses such as Changingoftheguard (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), Nathaniel (Ire), Campanologist (USA) and Pentire (GB).
The one they all have to beat is the Varian-trained King Of Steel (USA) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who was brave in defeat in the G1 Epsom Derby last time out.
Kevin Stott has the reins aboard the colt, who is related to the 2015 G1 Ranvet S. hero and Mapperley Stud resident Contributer (Ire).
The Gosdens have the promising Juddmonte–owned Group 3 scorer Arrest (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) entered and he needs to bounce back after a disappointing run in the Derby.
Featuring on Arrest’s pedigree page is Perfect Thought (So You Think {NZ}) - last year’s G3 Carbine Club S. victor.
O’Brien is a three-time winner of the race and his hopes of a fourth success rest with Continuous (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) - a Group 3 winner who was third in the G2 Dante S. two starts ago.
Continuous (Jpn) | Image courtesy of Racingfotos.com
Continuous is out of the winning Galileo (Ire) mare Fluff (Ire) and she herself is a sister to the Group victress Maybe (Ire) - the dam of the Group 1 hero Saxon Warrior (Jpn).
Ralph Beckett’s Artistic Star (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was seventh in the Derby after winning his first two starts, looks to be the only other winning hope.
Artistic Star is from the 2012 G1 Coolmore Stud S. heroine Nechita (Fastnet Rock). Following retirement, she was bought by Coolmore’s Tom Magnier for $1.55 million from Patinack Farm consignment at the 2013 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale Select Session. Nechita has thrown two stakes winners - Harpo Marx (Ire) Galileo {Ire}) and Forbearance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
