Classic fillies all set for Coronation Stakes not to be missed

Ashley Iveson
June 11, 2022 12:19 pm

American challengers add further flavour to Royal Ascot showpiece.

Classic heroines Homeless Songs, Cachet and Mangoustine are among 14 fillies confirmed for a mouthwatering renewal of the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot on Friday.

The Dermot Weld-trained Homeless Songs is favourite for the Group One contest following her spectacular display in the Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh last month, while Cachet provided trainer George Boughey with a first Classic success in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Cachet went on to finish a close second to Mangoustine in the French 1000 Guineas and they are set to renew rivalry on the penultimate day of the Royal meeting.

As if a trio of Guineas winners locking horns were not enough, the unbeaten Inspiral is due to make her belated reappearance for John and Thady Gosden.

Inspiral and Frankie Dettori after winning the Fillies' Mile at Newmarket — Inspiral and Frankie Dettori after winning the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket (Tim Goode/PA)

The daughter of Frankel was the undoubted star juvenile filly of last season, winning each of her four starts, and is poised for her comeback after reportedly being slow to come to hand this spring.

The Gosden team have a potential second string to their bow in Grande Dame, who won on her debut at Ascot before being touched off in a Listed event at York last month, while Ralph Beckett’s Prosperous Voyage was a neck runner-up to Cachet on the Rowley Mile last month.

Jessica Harrington has landed two of the last four renewals of the Coronation Stakes with half-sisters Alpha Centauri (2018) and Alpine Star (2020) and will bid to make it a hat-trick with another sibling in Discoveries.

Shane Foley and @Jessica_Racing are victorious once again as Discoveries forges ahead in the closing stages for a gutsy success in the Group 1 @MoyglareStud Stakes🏅@curraghrace | #LICW21 @LonginesEq | @IrishChampsWknd pic.twitter.com/uTzUrTxmqK
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 12, 2021

The Mastercraftsman filly, a full-sister of Alpha Centauri, won the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes in the autumn, but was beaten five lengths into seventh place in the Guineas at Newmarket.

There are two American challengers in Graham Motion’s Spendarella and the Christophe Clement-trained Pizza Bianca, who beat Cachet when winning at the Breeders’ Cup in November.

Henry de Bromhead’s pair of Honey Girl and Star Girls Aalmal, Hilal Kobeissi’s Rolling The Dice, the Andrew Balding-trained Sandrine and Tenebrism from Aidan O’Brien’s yard are the other hopefuls.