John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Friday.
Three points of interest
Light can shine back down in trip in Commonwealth Cup
2000 Guineas runner-up Field of Gold was a most impressive winner of the St James’s Palace Stakes earlier in the week when comprehensively outpointing his Newmarket conqueror Ruling Court, and Friday’s Commonwealth Cup (15:05) provides Shadow of Light, beaten a length in third behind those two colts in the 2000 Guineas, with a good opportunity to get back to winning ways for ‘’ Charlie Appleby. Shadow of Light was Timeform’s top-rated two-year-old last season when he completed the rare double of the Middle Park Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes.
Stepping up to a mile wasn’t sure to suit the half-brother to Earthlight, another Middle Park winner, but for all that Shadow of Light ran a fine race in the 2000 Guineas, running right up to his two-year-old form, he shaped as though a drop back in trip will suit him ideally. Going with zest under a patient ride, he showed a sharp turn of foot to take the lead under two furlongs out but was joined approaching the final furlong and ultimately outstayed in the closing stages.
While Shadow of Light heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings by 3 lb, he faces no shortage of rivals, including no fewer than ten fillies. They include potentially his biggest threat, Babouche, an easy winner of the Lacken Stakes at Naas last time, while Juddmonte have a second leading contender in Greenham Stakes winner Jonquil, he too dropping back from a mile last time after finishing runner-up in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains.
Zarigana to keep up record of French fillies in Coronation Stakes
French fillies have a good record in the Coronation Stakes (16:20), with Banks Hill, Immortal Verse, Ervedya, Qemah and Watch Me all being successful this century. The last-named filly, successful in 2019, was trained by Francis-Henri Graffard who is represented again this year by Zarigana, carrying the colours of the late Aga Khan who was also the owner of the 2015 winner Ervedya, she too a daughter of Siyouni. Like Ervedya, Zarigana will be attempting to follow up last month’s success in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches – all the other French winners of the Coronation this century had been beaten at Longchamp.
However, Zarigana had been touched off in the French 1000 Guineas by British-trained rival Shes Perfect before being awarded the race, the stewards taking the view that the interference she had suffered was enough to cost her the race given she was only beaten a nose after Mickael Barzalona had lost his whip. That was also the margin of Zarigana’s only defeat to date, therefore, over the same course and distance in last autumn’s Prix Marcel Boussac. A granddaughter of the Aga Khan’s unbeaten Arc winner Zarkava, who also won the Pouliches, Zarigana looks the type to go on improving and sets a good standard, being 5 lb clear in the Timeform ratings.
1000 Guineas form is represented by Flight and Simmering but Ollie Sangster’s pair who were placed at Newmarket both need to bounce back from lesser efforts since in the Irish 1000 Guineas and much the most interesting of Zarigana’s rivals are Kon Tiki and Falakeyah. Both have been supplemented following listed wins at York and Newmarket respectively, and while they are taking a big jump in class, they are also exciting fillies with the potential to make an impact.
Epsom absentees get their ‘Derby day’ in the King Edward VII Stakes
Winning the Lingfield Derby Trial would normally earn a colt a place in the Epsom line-up but with Puppet Master beating Ballydoyle stablemate Stay True a short-head in a rather substandard renewal, Aidan O’Brien wasn’t short of stronger candidates for the Derby as subsequent events proved. As a result, Puppet Master skipped Epsom but takes his chance in the ‘Ascot Derby’, the King Edward VII Stakes (17:35), which his trainer has won three times before, including with Japan and Changingoftheguard in the last six renewals.
Puppet Master heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings but preference is for another Derby trial winner who didn’t go to Epsom, albeit for different reasons. 'Hot Trainer' Ralph Beckett’s Amiloc was ineligible for the Derby having been gelded, though connections were represented there by the Dante winner Pride of Arras in any case. Amiloc won the Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood, and while that was academic as far as Epsom was concerned, he stormed clear in the end for a four-length victory in that listed contest, having run in snatches, to preserve his unbeaten record whilst earning the '' flag.
The extra furlong here is sure to suit Amiloc who is quite stoutly bred and could have run in the Queen’s Vase earlier in the week, though going down the staying route may be a plan B given that he currently holds entries in the Eclipse and King George. Open to further improvement, Amiloc won’t need to improve by much to take his unbeaten record to five races.
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