Guineas winners showdown set to light up Friday’s Coronation Stakes

Sky Lantern (left) gets up to beat Just The Judge (right) in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket last month. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

The rematch between Sky Lantern and Just The Judge is the focus of a fascinating Coronation Stakes on Friday which promises to be a cracker with a huge field of 17 declared.

Sky Lantern got the better of Just The Judge in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, winning by what was ultimately a pretty comfortable half a length.

Unlike Sky Lantern, that was Just The Judge’s first run of the season and she came on for it when she ran out an impressive winner of the Irish 1000 Guineas three weeks later.

The Just The Judge camp are very confident that they can turn the Newmarket form around with Sky Lantern as they know their filly has bloomed since, but the Sky Lantern camp also feel that their filly has improved so it could be a very close run thing.

With Sky Lantern needing to be held up, luck in running is going to be vital with such a big field.

The fact that Just The Judge, trained by Charlie Hills, tends to race prominently may tip things in her favour, though Sky Lantern’s turn of foot is a huge asset for the Richard Hannon-trained filly.

Irish raider Big Break has a big reputation. She was two lengths behind Just The Judge in the Irish Guineas, but that was her first run of the year and you can be sure she will have improved a lot since then.

Sir Michael Stoute has supplemented the unbeaten Pavlosk at a cost of £25,000 for the race, an indication of how highly she is regarded in the stable.

She is stepping up sharply in class, but could be anything after two easy victories and has to be feared.

French challenger Kenhope will need to improve on what she has shown this season, but the other French hope, Siyencia, has only had two runs and could improve on that especially under the care of leading trainer Alain de Royer Dupré.

Aidan O’Brien’s Snow Queen and Jim Bolger’s Irish Guineas runner-up, Rehn’s Nest, will have to step up while Purr Along had good form last year, but it’s a big ask for her to show her best first time out this season. 

With rain forecast (although we don’t know how much), the smart Irish filly Viztoria has to be feared.

She needs cut in the ground, but is highly regarded by trainer Eddie Lynam who won with Sole Power in the King’s Stand Stakes on Tuesday.

She was an impressive winner of her first start in Ireland this season after showing a lot last year – if there’s a bit of “soft” in the going description on Friday, she will have a serious chance.

Don’t miss the race at 3.45pm live on Channel 4 as are all 30 races at Royal Ascot this week.