Coronet

Coronet did well to finish third in the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary at Deauville on Sunday.

Frankie Dettori dropped John Gosden’s filly in from her outside draw, stall 10 of 11, and trusted to fortune. The early pace was not strong, however, as Gerald Mosse dictated a sedate tempo up front on Estelle Ma Belle and William Buick sat easily upsides on Sobetsu. Coronet travelled well, she didn’t race too freely, but she was just very far back when they straightened up for home, it was always going to be difficult for her to get close to the leaders from that position off that pace. Still second last when they wheeled into the home straight with 400 metres to run, Dettori took her to the outside, and she picked up nicely, she finished off the race best of all. Sobetsu was impressive in victory, and it may be that Coronet would not have beaten her however the race had been run, but the winner was always well positioned in a race in which the pace held up well. Runner-up Vue Fantastique was also prominent from early. But Coronet did really well to get up and just snatch second place on the line.

Coronet didn’t make her racecourse debut until last September, and she raced just twice last season as a juvenile. She was a cosy winner of her maiden over a mile at Leicester in early September, and she stepped up on that when she stepped up in trip to 10 furlongs to land a the Listed Zetland Stakes at Newmarket in early October. She still showed signs of greenness that day, which was entirely forgiveable, given that it was just her second run ever, and she did well to win. The form of that race is working out well too. In her immediate wake were her stable companion Cunco who won the Group 3 Classic Trial at Sandown on his debut this term, Permian who ran out a really impressive winner of the Listed Newmarket Stakes on 2000 Guineas day and followed up by winning the Dante on Thursday, and Wings Of Eagles who finished second to his stable companion Venice Beach in the Chester Vase last week when he didn’t have an ideal run through the race.

Coronet was making her seasonal debut on Sunday and, given that it was just her third ever run, it is legitimate to expect that she will improve for the run. Also, she should improve for stepping up from this 10 furlongs to a mile and a half, given that she is a half-sister to Midas Touch, who finished second in the St Leger. She could be an interesting addition to the Gosden team for the Oaks.

14^th May 2017