Precise and True Love Cross Paths Again in a Promising Coronation Stakes
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Ryan Moore and Wayne Lordan will once again swap mounts at Royal Ascot, while Venetian Sun appears as the main benchmark for the Commonwealth Cup (G1)
BERKSHIRE, England (Special for Turf Diario).– If one thing has become clear during the European classic season, it is that interpreting the riding arrangements within Ballydoyle has turned into an exercise as complex as it is fascinating. And this Friday, in the Coronation Stakes (G1)—one of the stellar events on the fourth day of Royal Ascot—a new chapter of that story will be written.
Ryan Moore, the go-to rider for Aidan O'Brien's powerhouse, will once again partner with Precise(Starspangledbanner), while Wayne Lordan will look after True Love (No Nay Never) once more. The scenario inevitably recalls what transpired in both the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh.
In the former, Moore opted for Precise, who went off as the favorite for her 3-year-old debut but finished seventh, while True Love, guided by Lordan, pulled off an upset by winning by 1 3/4 lengths. Three weeks later in Ireland, the roles were reversed: Moore switched to the heavily favored True Love, while Lordan was aboard Precise. The outcome defied expectations yet again, as Precise closed with a powerful rush to score by 2 1/2 lengths.
Now, both fillies will cross paths again over the Ascot mile, and the market seems to have taken a side. Precise figures as the clear favorite, while True Love is positioned as the main threat.
The general impression is that Precise possesses a sturdier profile for the distance. Physically stronger and gifted with a more potent turn of foot, she had already generated massive expectations last year when she was considered an almost unbeatable candidate for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) before being scratched due to a health issue on the morning of the race. True Love, on the other hand, had traveled to Del Mar to contest the Juvenile Turf Sprint(G1T), where she finished eighth.
The performance at The Curragh reinforced the feeling that Precise is the better miler of the two. While True Love had secured her classic breakthrough at Newmarket, Precise clearly dominated her in the Irish rematch, leaving the impression of belonging to a superior class.
Behind them, the remainder of the field appears far more manageable. Touleen (Lope de Vega), sixth in the 1000 Guineas in her only start of the year, emerges as the best of the rest, though she would need to progress considerably to threaten the Ballydoyle representatives.
The other major attraction on Friday will be the Commonwealth Cup (G1), where all eyes will lock onto Venetian Sun, a filly who has sparked immense enthusiasm following a devastating return to the races.
Conditioned by Karl Burke, the daughter of Starman won her first four outings at 2, including the Prix Morny (G1), where she defeated the subsequent stakes winner Gstaad (Starspangledbanner). However, she closed the season empty-handed against Precise and later failed to make an impact in the 1000 Guineas.
Everything changed when she cut back to 1200 meters. In the Sandy Hill Stakes (G2) at Haydock, she displayed a remarkably improved version of herself, traveling with supreme ease to dismiss Division by three lengths without her jockey Cliff Lee even having to exert her fully.
That display established her as the heavy favorite for the Commonwealth Cup, where she will face a large field of 3-year-old sprinters, including Outfielder (Speightstown), the American challenger trained by Wesley Ward. Although he arrives in good form, the memory of last year's Prix Morny—where Venetian Sun beat him clearly—suggests he will need a significant step forward to overturn that history.
Featuring two highest-level G1 events, Friday at Royal Ascot promises to sustain the intensity of a week that continues to deliver clashes among the finest talent of the new European generation.
