Coronation Stakes
16 June 2005
Virginia Waters, Aidan O'Brien's UltimatePoker.com 1000 Guineas heroine, heads 11 three-year-old fillies who will contest Friday's Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot at York.
The Kingmambo filly, who has subsequently finished fourth to Eswarah in the Vodafone Oaks over a mile and a half at Epsom, returns to her classic winning distance of a mile and will be reopposed by the Barry Hills-trained Maids Causeway, who was two and a half lengths adrift in second at Newmarket in the Guineas.
Other fillies who took part in the Guineas and will attempt to topple Virginia Waters include Karen's Caper (4th), trained by John Gosden, making her first start since Newmarket, the David Elsworth-trained Cape Columbine (5th), also not seen since her run at Headquarters, Penkenna Princess (16th), trained by Ralph Beckett, who has since shown her true ability when the short-head runner-up to Saoire in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and Mick Channon's Love Thirty (18th), third to Hachita in a conditions event at Leicester on the last day of May.
Aidan O'Brien also runs Mona Lisa, who was 11th in the Irish 1,000 Guineas before coming home 9th in the Vodafone Oaks.
Kieren Fallon, who has partnered Virginia Waters previously rides Damson for trainer David Wachman and this could be a tip in itself. The Entrepreneur filly, owned by Sue Magnier and Michael Tabor who also share Virginia Waters, was a top two-year-old last season providing her trainer with his first Royal Ascot success in the 2004 Queen Mary Stakes, although she was a bit disappointing when ninth on her seasonal bow in the Irish 1,000 Guineas last time.
The field is completed by Sir Michael Stoute's Bath maiden winner Discuss, Royal Alchemist, trained by Mark Usher, who was well behind Peeress in a Listed event here last month, and the Dermot Weld-trained Utterly Heaven, who was a highly creditable fourth in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, having gone into that European classic on the strength of a maiden success at Leopardstown in April.
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