G1 Commonwealth Cup S.

If Tuesday's St James's Palace Stakes was a blockbuster, Friday's G1 Coronation Stakes offers just as much intrigue with the 1,000 Guineas winner Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}) joined by the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Rouhiya (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and one who just might have won either had the fates not intervened. Following her scintillating display in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc day, Ballydoyle's Opera Singer (Justify) looked the one to beat in the Newmarket Classic but a training setback meant that she missed the...

Group 2 winner Inisherin (GB) (Shamardal) will be supplemented at a cost of £46,000 to the G1 Commonwealth Cup on Saturday, trainer Kevin Ryan has confirmed. The G2 Sandy Lane S. hero, who races for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, has won half of his four starts. He was a solid sixth in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas in May, prior to his Sandy Lane victory. "He is in good form," said Ryan. "He runs in the Commonwealth Cup." The colt will square off with dual Group 1 winner and...

Unbeaten colt Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) continues to progress in his preparation for the G2 Sandy Lane S. at Haydock on May 25. The Simon and Ed Crisford-trained colt's long-term goal is Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup S. next month. A winner of all four of his starts including the early August G2 Richmond S., G1 Prix Morny later that month, and the G1 Middle Park S. in September, the colt is pleasing his connections. "He's coming along nicely now, so we're hoping we'll be all systems go at...

Dual Group 1 winner Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) will not run in the G1 Dewhurst S. and instead be prepared for a 3-year-old sprinting campaign, according to Chris Wall, racing manager for KHK Racing. Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, the grey colt is undefeated in four six-furlong starts, beginning at Nottingham in July, followed by the G2 Richmond S., G1 Prix Morny and Saturday's G1 Middle Park S. in the yellow-and-black-striped colours of Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa's KHK Racing. Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup S. is...

Royal Ascot Friday sees the Irish contingent to the fore as TDN Rising Stars Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) exercise iron grips on the feature G1 Coronation S. and G1 Commonwealth Cup respectively. While the former flashed her considerable talent just twice as a juvenile, Ballydoyle's champion of 2022 domineered his way through three important black-type tests before injury halted his momentum. Now the winner of the Irish 1000 Guineas, Tahiyra comfortably has the measure of chief rival Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never)...

Wednesday's G3 Commonwealth Cup Trial S. hero Cold Case (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) will appear in the G2 Sandy Lane S. at Haydock at the end of May prior to an intended start in the G1 Commonweath Cup S. at Royal Ascot, according to trainer Karl Burke. The colt won the Ascot feature by 1 1/2 lengths in his 3-year-old bow, and races for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum. Cold Case is riding a three-race winning streak after victories at Doncaster in September and in Red Car's Listed Two Year Old...

It has taken over a month longer than expected, but Cheveley Park Stud's Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) finally gets racing again on Friday as she bids to pick up the thread of her flawless 2-year-old campaign in Royal Ascot's G1 Coronation S. While her achievements in winning the G2 May Hill S. and G1 Fillies' Mile seemed laudable enough at the time, subsequent events have unfolded to display them in even better light particularly as they were garnered during her formative phase. As the Fillies' Mile and May Hill runner-up...

   After Tiber Flow (Ire) (Caravaggio) and Twilight Jet (Ire) (Twilight Son {GB}) advertised their claims for Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup this weekend, it is the turn of Al Shaqab Racing's Ebro River (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) to put his name in the hat in Monday's G3 Prix Texanita at Chantilly. The G1 Phoenix S. hero was a disappointing fifth on his return in the six-furlong G3 Abernant S. at Newmarket Apr. 13, but he has plenty in hand on his seven rivals on his best form. One who...

Dual group winner Lusail (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) is pointing to Royal Ascot, trainer Richard Hannon revealed on Tuesday. A start in the one-mile G1 St James's Palace S. or the six-furlong G1 Commonwealth Cup S. are both being considered for the Al Shaqab Racing colourbearer, as is the G3 Jersey S. Successful in both the G2 July S. and G2 Gimcrack S. last term, Lusail resumed with a second in the G3 Greenham S. in mid-April and was a close sixth in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on...

Richard Fahey has revealed that Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) will be aimed at the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot with the trainer of the opinion that the colt failed to stay the G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas trip at Newmarket on Saturday. Perfect Power, who won the Greenham S. over seven furlongs at Newbury on his seasonal bow, failed to cope with the extra furlong in the Guineas when seventh behind Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). However, Fahey said he believed a return to six furlongs, a distance at which...

Craig Bernick and Antony Beck's Group 3 winner Castle Star (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) will target the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, according to trainer Fozzy Stack. The colt broke his maiden in his third start, the Listed First Flier S. at The Curragh on May 3. He followed that effort with a two-length come-from-behind victory in the G3 Marble Hill S. there later that month. Second in the G2 Railway S. in June, Castle Star was fourth in the G1 Phoenix S. on Aug. 8. He improved to run...

The Group 1-placed Dubawi Legend (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who carries the silks of Dr. Ali Ridha, will not have a run before a planned appearance in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas on Apr. 30. A winner at first asking at Doncaster in July, the Hugo Palmer trainee ran third in the G3 Acomb S. on Aug. 18 and then was only two lengths behind Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) when second in the G1 Dewhurst S. on Oct. 9. He did not fair well in the draw of the...