Cercene defied all odds to become the unexpected heroine of the Coronation Stakes (G1)

The daughter of Australia dug deep to deny favorite Zarigana and celebrate a first G1 triumph for her connections in a thrilling finish

Up the rail, Cercene surged past Zarigana in the final strides / ROYAL ASCOT

Thoroughbred racing, when it wants to, can be the most beautiful dream factory. Cercene, a daughter of Australia sent off at 33-1, wrote a fairytale chapter on Friday with a stunning victory in the G1 Coronation Stakes, delivering a first top-level win for both trainer Joseph Murphy and jockey Gary Carroll—and doing so on one of the sport’s grandest stages: Royal Ascot.

Third last time out in the G1 1000 Guineas at The Curragh, the bay filly showed grit and determination to reel in hot favorite Zarigana (Siyouni) in the final strides and prevail by half a length. Another length back in third was fellow Irish raider January (Kingman), rounding out a fast-run race with a thrilling finish.

“This is the result of 50 years of family work,” said an emotional Murphy, who also bred the filly. “We started with just a handful of horses, moved from jumps to the Flat, and kept buying and believing. To be here and win a Group 1 is a dream come true. I always liked Australia as a sire, and her dam had already produced Perotto, who won the Britannia here. Cercene is small—if she were a bit bigger, she probably wouldn’t still be in my yard. But she’s tough, she’s got heart, and she’s a joy to train.”

For Carroll, the long-awaited breakthrough at the highest level came with added meaning: “This is unbelievable. If I ever dreamed of winning a Group 1, it was with Mr. Murphy. He gave me my first shot when I was still an apprentice. Cercenegave everything. When the French filly came past, I thought it was over—but this little girl dug in and came back. She’s got a massive heart.”

Francis-Henri Graffard, trainer of Zarigana, took the runner-up finish in stride: “She traveled beautifully, but once she hit the front, her attitude changed. She’s very talented, but perhaps some cheekpieces might help. Still, there’s nothing to be disappointed about—winning at Ascot is incredibly hard. We were second today in two different G1s with two very nice fillies, both of whom have booked their place as future broodmares.”

Princess Zahra Aga Khan, representing the historic breeding operation, added: “Zarigana is very much like her grandmother Zarkava—a bit wild, but brilliant. The important thing is that they’ve come back safe. These are two key pieces for the future of the stud.”

Aidan O’Brien, meanwhile, reflected on January's third-place effort: “She ran well, though things were a bit messy early on. Ryan [Moore] thinks she’ll take a step forward. We may look at one of the fillies’ races at Newmarket next. That’s something we’ll discuss.”