14:30
It’s a touch disappointing to see Statuette not running in the Albany, but Aidan O’Brien is giving her a little more time. I’d keep her on side though, she’s the most impressive two-year-old winner I’ve seen this season.
The yard has another hopeful in Meditate, who I’m not sure is as good as Statuette but has got the job done in two starts so far this season. However, I’ve landed on MAWJ 13/5 for Saeed Bin Suroor. She did really well on her debut at Newmarket and got herself organised as she came out of the dip to win nicely. There looks a little more to come from her.
15:05
TWILIGHT JET 8/1 is fascinating in the Commonwealth Cup. As his connections gave him plenty of racing as a two-year-old, I assumed they’d thought he wouldn’t train on, but he put up a possible career best on his first run back this term. It’s a wide-open race and, if he does confirm that promise from that run at Naas, he’s got every chance from his nice draw.
15:40
MASHHOOR 10/1 runs for Johnny Murtagh in the Duke Of Edinburgh. He’s drawn in stall 1 which will help if Ben [Coen] wants to ride him handy. The step up in trip by two furlongs should suit him as he wasn’t stopping when he won over 1m2f at the Curragh last time, and there could still be more improvement in him.
16:20
The Coronation Stakes is a real cracker of a race, isn’t it? It looks to be one of the most competitive Group 1 contests of the week. INSPIRAL 2/1 is the top-rated horse based on her juvenile form, where nothing could really trouble her. The fact her connections are happy to run her here for her first outing of the season is a real vote of confidence for me, and I think she’s going to be tough to beat. Whatever happens, I think she’ll end up staying a mile-and-a-quarter this season. She has star quality.
17:00
PERSIST 10/1 has a beautiful pedigree, she’s by Frankel and out of a Group 1-winning mare. She wasn’t disgraced in three runs as a two-year-old and, on her only start this year, won as she needed to at Ripon. Stall 11 won’t be an inconvenience, and I think there’s improvement in her in this very competitive race.
17:35
Changingoftheguard ran a decent race in the Derby, but he’s short enough in the betting for a horse who had a hard race not too long ago. OTTOMAN FLEET 9/4 has only had two racecourse starts in his career but has created a good impression both times. Based on what we’ve seen, and on his pedigree, you’d think he’d stay this trip well.
18:10
Ladies Church might be better off at 6f, but she was a good second over 5½f at the Curragh last time. This looks as though it has been the plan for a while, so it would be no surprise if she ran well.
Karl Burke’s horses are in good form, and I’d say off the back of KORKER 15/2 winning well at York last time, he’d have a sound each-way chance.