The fourth day of Royal Ascot featured the Group I Coronation Stakes (1m) and Group I Commonwealth Cup (6f) with both events won by three year-old fillies that started favourite, so it was a punters paradise!
The Karl Burke trained Starman filly Venetian Sun was a winner on this day at Royal Ascot last year when taking out the Group III Albany Stakes (6f).
She went on to win the Group I Prix Morny at Deauville before finishing her juvenile season with a third in the Group I Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh behind Precise, the superstar daughter of Starspangledbanner that ended 2025 as the Champion European 2YO Filly.
Venetian Sun and Precise both kicked off their 2026 campaigns in the Group I Newmarket 1000 Guineas finishing unplaced to True Love, but both have rebounded in spectacular fashion.
Venetian Sun was dropped back in trip to win the Group II Sandy Lane Stakes (6f) at Haydock, while the Aidan O’Brien trained Precise turned the tables on her stablemate True Love to win the Group I Irish 2000 Guineas by a commanding two and a half lengths.
Overnight the two filles ran as favourite in their respective G1 races and did not disappoint.
Venetian Sun took on a big field of 22 in the Commonwealth Cup and under a well timed ride from Clifford Lee prevailed to win by a head over the 50-1 long shot Spicy Marg, a daughter of Starspangledbanner.
Karl Burke confessed his overriding emotion after the win was relief after a tough week.
“Definitely relief. We have a lot of faith Venetian Sun, but relief, it's such a hard place to win here, especially the Group Ones. I wouldn't even say we've been hitting the post. They haven't been running badly but we've had plenty of shots,” he said.
“She's a great filly. Everyone was going on about the Haydock run, I think she appreciates that cut in the ground and it probably slows a few others up but she's a superstar filly.”
Venetian Sun was purchased for 240,000 guineas at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 by Todd Investments and was bred by Tally Ho Stud, who stand her sire Starman at a fee of €40,000.
A Group I winning sprinter by Dutch Art, Starman has hit the ground running with his oldest progeny just 3YOs. He has sired seven stakes-winners with Venetian Sun the best of them.
With six wins from eight starts, Venetian Sun is a half-sister to stakes-placed Sir Yoshi and is from stakes-placed Iffraaj mare Johara, who comes from a top class family that has produced Group I winning Champion 2YOs Earthlight and Shadow of Light for Godolphin.
The Group I Coronation Stakes brought a third Group I winner at this meeting for Aidan O’Brien, Ryan Moore and the Coolmore partners following on from Mission Central (King Charles II Stakes) and Scandinavia (Ascot Gold Cup).
Precise showed her class when holding off the challengers to forge clear and win by a length and a half over the Shadwell homebred Lope de Vega filly Touleen with the 2000 Guineas winner True Love in third place.
“She's the best filly, there was no need to complicate it, and she's done what she had to do. I would say 10 (furlongs)is within her compass but she's good at a mile, plenty of good fillies in the yard so I suppose we'll get home, see what the others are doing and make a plan,” said Ryan Moore.
“It wasn't her fault she got beat first time up. She's a good filly, very good filly.”
A homebred for the Coolmore partners, Precise has six wins from eight starts and is the first stakes-winner among three winners from placed Galileo mare Way to My Heart, a sister to stakes-winner Kingfisher from stakes-winner Mystical Lady.
Aussie bred Starspangledbanner and his Aussie bred sire Choisir both won Group I sprints at Royal Ascot, so Precise is a third generation Royal Ascot G1 winner!
Starspangledbanner stands at Coolmore Ireland at a fee of €60,000.
