By Tom Frary
Wednesday saw the draw made for Friday's two group 1 contests at Royal Ascot, with the 10 fillies set to contest the Coronation S. headed by Ballydoyle's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Opera Singer (Justify) and Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's 1,000 Guineas heroine Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Opera Singer, who was returning from a setback when third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, has drawn an outside stall in nine for the mile feature while the Roger Varian-trained Newmarket Classic heroine is in seven. James Doyle takes over from Silvestre De Sousa on Elmalka, while Oisin Murphy will replace Aurelien Lemaitre on TDN Rising Star and Guineas third Ramatuelle (Justify). She is on the rail in one, while the G1 Cheveley Park S. winner and 1,000 Guineas runner-up Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio) has also fared well in five.
The Aga Khan's G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Rouhiya (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) has a favourable draw in two, next to the other Ballydoyle representative Content (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), while the up-to-scratch field is completed by Godolphin's unbeaten Devoted Queen (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Jeff Smith's See The Fire (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Juddmonte's Skellet (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) and Scuderia Sagam's Folgaria (Ire) (Due Diligence).
The other top-bracket highlight, the six-furlong Commonwealth Cup, sees a strong representation from Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum with Kevin Ryan's emphatic G2 Sandy Lane S. winner Inisherin (GB) (Shamardal) joined by the Karl Burke-trained Listed Carnarvon S. scorer Elite Status (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}). Al Mohamediya Racing's G3 Commonwealth Cup Trial S. winner Jasour (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) from the Clive Cox stable is another high-profile runner among the 15 contenders. They include Michelle Morris and Jan and Peter Hopper's unbeaten TDN Rising Star Kind Of Blue (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}), interestingly thrown in at the deep end by the normally conservative James Fanshawe.
In the G3 Albany S also over six, 17 juvenile fillies will line up including Ballydoyle's G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. winner Fairy Godmother (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Godolphin's unbeaten TDN Rising Star Mountain Breeze (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Sheikh Hamed Dalmook Al Maktoum's TDN Rising Star Twafeeg (Ire) (Far Above {Ire}) and the Wesley Ward-trained Burning Pine (Nyquist). There are 14 colts in the G2 King Edward VII S., with a quartet for Aidan O'Brien including TDN Rising Stars Agenda (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), alongside The Aga Khan's dual group 3 winner Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}).
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