With the defections at the final declarations, just six go to the start for the Coronation Cup and last year’s victor faces the same horse that he beat last year. No surprise that Calandagan is just even money favourite as he is the top rated horse on the planet and comes here having won his only start of the year, the Sheema Classic, easily. Last year’s winner Jan Brueghel also won his only start this term, the Ormonde Stakes, and two of his rivals live at the same address. We know that last year’s Derby winner Lambourn handles the track but he was beaten on both his starts after victory on this card last term and nobody would consider him anything more than an ordinary Derby winner. Bay City Roller has his days and he is good enough to be in the field but has not won either of his starts in 2026 and will need something to go wrong with the front two in the betting to collect today. It is quite possible that the outsider Illinois is in the field as a pacemaker (as he was in the Ormonde) and that only leaves Karl Burke’s Convergent, who will need to step up considerably on his form to date; although that is not impossible for a lightly raced colt.
My mate has backed seven year old Vintage Clarets each way in the 3.15 but I would be inclined to stand the bet myself as he has done nothing in four starts this year to suggest that he will be collecting in this dash, so I do not know where he has got that info from as Fahey’s other runner probably has more chance and they have the Haggas trained favourite sandwiched between them. In Fahey’s SportingLife.com column he reckons Vintage Clarets is ‘well handicapped’ – yes, Richard, not winning for twelve races and finishing in the last six in your last six races (last three in four of them) sees your rating tumble.
After all the Aidan O’Brien runners were well beaten in The Oaks, I can see the layers possibly looking to take on The Derby favourite and the Ballydoyle winter talking horse. I have to wonder if punters will latch on to son Joseph’s contender to give him a Classic double. The fact that William Buick is at Doncaster riding for Charlie Appleby tells you all you need to know about the 2026 woes of Godolphin with no runner in The Derby or the Coronation Cup. Is the bet of the day Study Of Words in the 3.05 at Doncaster? The layers are taking no chances: he is favourite despite stepping up half a mile in trip. He will become a Frankel gelding if he does not win today.
The reality is that there are five runners in the Blue Riband that should not be troubling the judge: Poker (maiden, beaten in Haydock novice six weeks ago), A Taste Of Glory (last in the Lingfield Derby Trial), Alderman (beaten in a maiden on 2026 return), Balzac (third in the Lingfield Derby Trial beaten over 6 lengths) and Rebel Rocker (second in the Listed Blue Riband on this track with Balzac third). Hope their connections enjoy their day in the owners’ enclosure.
I am left wondering what the Ballydoyle plan is here. Action and Christmas Day filled the places in the Dante. Christmas Day had previously won the Ballysax (James J Braddock fifth) whilst Action had flopped in the Sandown Classic Trial. The cheekpieces added to Action make me think that if someone is going to go on it could be him provided he does not blow the start. Ancient Egypt could be overpriced provided that he takes to the track and the easier ground. He won the Newmarket Stakes easily, the trip should not be a problem and after only four starts he can find improvement but the way he wandered around at HQ makes me think he is going to struggle on the camber here after Tattenham Corner. Bay Of Brilliance and Maltese Cross fought out the finish to the Lingfield Derby Trial and that suggests that the course should present no problem for either of them today; however, there is no obvious reasons to see that running reversed so the Haggas colt looks the more likely to be involved in the finish. Pierre Bonnard was the winter favourite for this but he ran like a drain in the Ballysax (three stablemates and James J Braddock ahead of him) and was then chinned by James J Braddock in the Leopardstown Derby Trial. Having only his fifth start, James J Braddock looks to have a real chance today with the only blot on his copybook being that fifth in the Ballysax. The favourite Benvenuto Cellini was only third in the Futurity at the end of his juvenile campaign (Action second) but slammed his rivals in the five runner Chester Vase (at a meeting where the stable won all five trials including the Cheshire Oaks with subsequently well beaten Oaks favourite Amelia Earhart). His supporters are really going on one performance and where he lives. So from one Frankel colt to another: Item won the Dante going away from Action and Christmas Day having been able to sit at the back as the runner-up set the fractions. Unbeaten in three starts, there is every reason to think that he will stay the trip so this looks like a case of will Andrew Balding’s charge handle the track as the Timeform ratings only put him 1lb behind the favourite. I think that the winner is one of Item or Maltese Cross but I am going to wait until they have gone to post and I have seen how they have handled the big occasion before deciding. One or both of them might have blown their chances before the gates open.
