Coronation Stakes

Inspiral has assumed clear favouritism for the Coronation Stakes after the withdrawal of ante-post favourite and Irish 1,000 Guineas winner, Homeless Songs.

Priced at a general 3/1 before the confirmed absence of Homeless Songs, Inspiral has been cut to 2/1 with most bookmakers but remains a best price 9/4 through oddschecker. 

This filly by Frankel enjoyed a flawless juvenile campaign last season, winning each of her four starts, including a Group 1 victory in the Fillies' Mile at Newmarket. She’s clearly brilliant and while she will be conceding fitness to some high-class fillies, she is open to more improvement and will be ridden by Ascot specialist Frankie Dettori.

Second in the market is the heroine from the 1,000 Guineas, Cachet, who is available at a best price 6/1. After her heroic front-running display at Newmarket, she produced another excellent effort when a ‘head’ second in the French equivalent in ParisLongchamp just a fortnight later. 

Her trainer, George Boughey, has really made a name for himself in the training ranks and his star filly, who’s become a real flag-bearer for his yard, has to be at least a serious each-way player.  

Spendarella is interesting at an available 11/1, who’s three-from-three and has been targeted at this race by trainer Graham Motion. She’s got loads of pace and has already claimed two stakes wins in Group 2 and Three company in her home region so isn’t one to dismiss. 

She could go well if taking her chance, while Andrew Balding’s Sandrine could go well at massive odds of 14/1. She won her first three starts last year, including at this meeting when winning the Albany, and having reached the frame on her final two starts last term, she reappeared with an eye-catching fifth in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket. 

Ralph Beckett’s Prosperous Voyage was expected to feature in the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary in Paris but that plan was abandoned due to major delays at Dover Port. Having come straight here, the 1,000 Guineas runner-up has excellent claims of running a big race at generous odds of 10/1. 

She will need to improve to beat Inspiral but she’s yet to run a bad race, should be suited to the course and this two-time Group 1 runner-up has to be considered. 

Jessie Harrington’s Discoveries (8/1), who won the Group 1 Moyglare last year, reappeared with a solid seventh in the 1,000 Guineas. This daughter of Mastercraftsman is another leading contender for connections who have a good record in this, having won two of the last four renewals courtesy of Alpine Star and Alpha Centauri.

Coronation Stakes 2022 Tips

There are two I like here, however, with the first of the two suggestions being the exciting PIZZA BIANCA (best price 16/1). Christophe Clement’s classy individual booked her ticket for this race with an impressive confidence-booster victory last-time-out. On just her second career start, she ran a cracker to finish runner-up in the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine, where she might have finished a lot closer to Wild Beauty with a clear passage. 

However, she produced an unbelievable performance to capture the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and her owner, Bobby Flay, is eager to win the Coronation Stakes too. He tried to win this race 111 years ago and while he had no luck, he fully believes this filly has an excellent chance of running a big race despite being up against the best three-year-old filly milers. 

The statistics are against her though, as no American-trained horse has won the race, but she’s a brilliant horse and, at 16/1, she makes a fair bit of appeal from an each-way point of view. 

Trainer Mikel Delzangles thinks he has a strong chance with MANGOUSTINE (best price 9/1) and she’s my other bet in the race. She showed a tenacious attitude and lots of attributes to fend off all challengers in the French 1,000 Guineas. 

She had English Guineas winner Cachet back in second, who’s a classy filly, and the pair look set for the rematch in this event. Having her fifth career start, her first attempt in Group 1 company, she broke from the stalls very alertly and having travelled into contention smoothly at the two furlong pole, she quickened to take the lead inside the final furlong. 

While she had three horses challenge her strongly shortly afterwards, she kept on strongly to land the spoils under Gerald Mosse, taking her career record to four wins from five starts and hand us an excellent 16/1 winner.