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After the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes on the fourth day of the Royal meeting at Ascot Racecourse, comes the showpiece event of the day, and we could see something special from a very highly rated filly.
At 16:20, the Coronation Stakes will take place. This is a Group 1 race for fillies aged three and above. The Irish 100 Guineas winner is in action here, and if the hype is to be believed, this race is all about Tahiyra.
Two in a row for Tahiyra?
The 1000 Guineas at Newmarket proved to be beyond Tahiyra, who just failed to get to the winner on that occasion, though most people left that race behind feeling that she was the best of the bunch, despite finishing second. That theory was given plenty of substance when she got the job done in decent style in the Irish 100 Guineas last time out, form which makes her the leading contender here.
There is absolutely no doubting the class that the Dermot Weld filly possesses. She could be a little bit special and it would be absolutely no surprise to see her win this race today. It wouldn’t be a surprise if she won it well. She’s worthy of shouldering the burden of favouritism, that’s for sure.
However, it also wouldn’t surprise me if she failed to confirm the form with Meditate, who finished second in the Irish 1000 Guineas. That horse is no back number here.
Could Meditate get her revenge?
As touched on when writing about the best bets of the day on Friday at Royal Ascot, Meditate looks a decent bet at the prices. Sure, if you thin that Tahiyra is everything she’s cracked up to be, which is very, very possible, then back her, by all means, but it’s hard to feel that her odds-on price-tag offers any value. In contrast, the 9/2 available on Meditate at the time of writing, may just give punters a slither of value for money.
We know that Aiden O’Brien always has top horses and whether she wins this or not, Meditate looks like a top horse. She won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, which outside of Britain, is about as big as it gets, while she shouldn’t be judged too harshly for her effort in the 1000 Guineas, as she likely isn’t the sort to put her best foot forward first time out after a break. That was confirmed when she improved markedly to finish only a length and a half behind the favourite for this in the Irish 1000 Guineas last time out.
Of course, it looks like she’d need to take another step forward to reverse those placings, but firmer ground here could help her do that. Her best form is that Breeders’ Cup win and she raced on firm ground that day. At the prices, I’m going to take a chance on the quicker ground aiding her cause.
Best Bet: Meditate @ 9/2
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