Ascot proves a Winter wonderland for O’brien
Coronation Stakes gives trainer a double
Dual Classic heroine Winter continued her fantastic season with an assured victory in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The daughter of Galileo caused something of an upset when seeing off better-fancied stablemate Rhododendron in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, but proved that was no fluke when following up in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh in tremendous style.
Her stablemate Churchill, this year’s dual 2,000 Guineas winner, came up short in Tuesday’s St James’s Palace Stakes, but Winter made no mistake in the hands of Ryan Moore.
With French raider Precieuse and Winter’s stablemate Roly Poly setting the pace, the 4-9 favourite was waited with by Moore.
She was sent about her business passing the two-furlong marker and quickly found an extra gear to leave her rivals toiling.
Winter passed the post with two-and-a-quarter lengths in hand over Roly Poly, while Hydrangea was third to provide trainer Aidan O’brien with a one-two-three, and a big double on the day after Caravaggio won the preceding Commonwealth Cup.
Moore said: “She was only doing what she had to do. She travelled beautifully through the race and was very professional, but she was just doing what she had to I think.
“It’s a hard thing to do to win two Guineas and then come here, but she’s with a trainer who can do magic things.
“It’s very hard to do what she’s done, but she’s good. She’s beaten some good fillies from France and America and this is a strong piece of form.”
O’brien said: “She’s a filly who is thriving from race-torace, she travelled well, Ryan had her in a lovely position and she’s won very well.
“She gets the trip very well, she’s very classy and is a great traveller. When you ask her she gallops out strong.
“Physically she’s thriving, David [Wachman, former trainer] always thought the world of her last year and now she’s thriving race-to-race.”
Tasleet can headline the final day of Royal Ascot by landing the Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
William Haggas’ charge has had his problems but he is finally starting to deliver on the promise he showed as a juvenile.
The Showcasing colt was not beaten too far by Shalaa and landed a richly-endowed sales event as a two-year-old before winning a weak renewal of the Greenham Stakes on his first three-year-old outing.
However, he sustained an injury following that success and was then off the track until finishing down the field in the Challenge Stakes last autumn when he did not really convince over seven furlongs.
That comment also applied on his return at Leicester in April, so Haggas’ decision to switch back to six furlongs for last month’s Duke of York Stakes looked a good shout and Tasleet duly impressed in running out a clear-cut winner.
The reopposing Magical Memory was back in second that day and, while his connec-
tions made much of the soft ground at York being against their runner, it was also considered a negative for Tasleet, too.
His turn of pace to take control at the furlong pole was really impressive and with fast ground to bounce off this time, Tasleet can graduate to Group One glory.