It is quite curious that the Coronation Cup is taking place roughly when it was originally scheduled but at a totally different course.
German import Alounak is not the worst 50/1 you will ever see in a Group 1, having finished second to Desert Encounter in the Canadian International but he was behind Anthony van Dyck in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
The race revolves around Ghaiyyath. The Godolphin colt is a Group 1 winner but there are serious question marks against that form as he was allowed the run of the race and subsequently was totally outgunned in the Arc. Today the others will surely not allow him a soft lead from which to slip the field, especially last year’s winner Defoe, who may challenge for the lead. Ghaiyyath has a fitness advantage, having had a facile prep-race in Dubai but this was not the intended target. I had high hopes for Defoe but he disappointed on the whole last term winning just this race and the Hardwicke; and a strict form line through Desert Encounter from his second at Meydan gives him something to find with Ghaiyyath.
Derby winner Anthony van Dyck has been kept in training but clearly will need to have improved from three to four as his places in the Breeders’ Cup, Irish Champion Stakes and Irish Derby look nothing special and he was a complete no-show in the King George.
The staying champion STRADIVARIUS makes his seasonal bow over a trip that he has never won over but he should have no trouble with the quicker pace if the race is not run at a crawl, has won first time out the last three seasons and he looks like the safest option today.
In the Abernant Stakes, the lack of a warm up should be less of a problem with the older sprinters. Last year’s winner Keystroke returns but Kevin Ryan’s consistent Brando, a valiant second when trying for a race hat-trick last term is also back and the race conditions are heavily in his favour with no penalties. The two four year olds will be very interesting. Oxted clearly need to improve on his Portland win and Brando’s stablemate Emaraary Ana ran in two classics last year after winning the Gimcrack as a juvenile, so I expect him to try to make all as he did for his last two wins. Richard Fahey’s veteran MR LUPTON started last season with a win in the Group 2 Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh then ran moderately in lots of the big sprints but this could be set up for him today if David Nolan can time his run.