Coronation duel with opera singer Elmalka takes place on Friday

Wednesday, 19 June 2024 at 6:11 am |
Back to: Top news from Europe

Updated: June 19, 2024 at 6:26 am

From Tom Frary

The draw for Friday’s two Group 1 races at Royal Ascot was made on Wednesday. The 10 mares will take part in the Coronation S., led by the winner of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac from Ballydoyle. opera singer (Justify) and Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum’s 1,000 Guineas Heroine Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Opera Singer, who recovered from a setback when finishing third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, has drawn an outside position for the feature race at nine miles while the Roger Varian-trained heroine of the Newmarket Classic is at seven. James Doyle takes over from Silvestre De Sousa on Elmalka while Oisin Murphy Aurelien Lemaitre on TDN Rising Star and Guineas third Ramatuelle (Give reasons). She is in a race on the inside track, while the winner of the G1 Cheveley Park S. and runner-up in the 1,000 Guineas Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio) also did well in five.

The heroine of Aga Khan’s G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches Rouhiya (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) has a favorable draw in two, alongside the other Ballydoyle representative Contents (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), while the strong field was rounded out by Godolphin’s unbeaten Devoted Queen (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Jeff Smith’s See The Fire (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Juddmontes Skeleton (Anger) (Kingman {GB}) and Scuderia Sagam’s Folgaria (Ire) (Due Diligence).

The other highlight of the premier class, the Commonwealth Cup over six furlongs, features a strong representation from Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum with Kevin Ryan’s convincing G2 winner Sandy Lane S. Inisherin (GB) (Shamardal) together with the Karl Burke-trained Listed Carnarvon S.-Scorer Elite Status (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}). Winner of the Commonwealth Cup Trial S. in class G3 for Al Mohamediya Racing Jasour (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) from Clive Cox’s stable is another top-class runner among the 15 contenders. These include Michelle Morris and Jan and Peter Hopper’s unbeaten TDN Rising Star Kind Of Blue (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}), interestingly thrown in at the deep end by the normally conservative James Fanshawe.

In the G3 Albany S, over six, 17 young mares will also compete, including Ballydoyle’s G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. winner Good Fairy (Irish) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Godolphin is undefeated TDN Rising Star Mountain Breeze (Ireland) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Sheik Hamed Dalmook Al Maktoum’s TDN Rising Star Twafeeg (Ire) (Far Above {Ire}) and the Wesley Ward-trained Burning Pine (Nyquist). There are 14 stallions in the G2 King Edward VII S., including a quartet representing Aidan O’Brien, including TDN Rising Stars Agenda (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Diego Velazquez (Irish) (Frankel {GB}), alongside The Aga Khan’s two-time Group 3 winner Calandagan (Ireland) (Gleneagles {Ire}).

Not a subscriber yet? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.

Copy article link

This story was posted in Top News Europe and tagged Agenda (Ireland), Aidan O’Brien, Burning Pine, Calandagan (Ireland), Content (Ireland), Coolmore, Devoted Queen (GB), Diego Velazquez (Ireland), Elite Status (GB), Elmalka (GB), Fairy Godmother (Ireland), Folgaria (Ireland), G1 Commonwealth Cup, G1 Coronation S., G2 King Edward VII S., G3 Albany S., Godolphin, Inisherin (GB), James Doyle, Jasour (GB), Karl Burke, Kevin Ryan, Kind Of Blue (GB), Mountain Breeze (Ireland), Oisin Murphy, Opera Singer, Porta Fortuna (Ireland), Ramatuelle, Roger Varian, Rouhiya (Fr), Royal Ascot, See The Fire (GB), Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, Skellet (Ireland), TDN Rising Star, Twafeeg (Ireland) tagged.