Coronation Stakes Betting Preview

Speciosa, who won the Nell Gwyn Stakes and the 1,000 Guineas on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket earlier in the season, lost absolutely no caste in defeat when coming home under eight lengths fourth behind Alexandrova in the Vodafone Oaks at Epsom earlier this month.Back over a mile in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot on Friday, the Pam Sly-trained filly looks sure to make a bold bid. However, it is significant that no horse in recent times has ran in the Oaks and gone onto win this contest. Indeed, it's likely that those exertions at Epsom will have taken quite a bit out of Speciosa, and another concern is her propensity to hang left on this right-handed course. At Newmarket she had the rail to run against, but if she drifts left to the near side on the Old Mail she'll be forfeiting an awful lot of ground.Furthermore, Speciosa had ran on good to firm going three times and on each occasion she's been beaten. Admittedly, the races in question were all last term, but the Danehill Dancer filly is a strong galloping sort who appears to be well suited by a bit of ease underfoot.Taking these factors into consideration, Speciosa has to be opposed, and French raider Price Tag is the one to be on at 6/1 with totesport.Pascal Bary's charge came with a wet sail to land the French 1,000 Guineas at Longchamp last month but was later disqualified for causing interference to the second and third in the closing stages. Had that race been run in England, Price Tag would have kept the race, and there can be little doubt that she was the moral winner. As such, she deserves compensation.Although the selection has yet to race on going faster than good, her sire Dansili appreciated top of the ground and, given that she has a quick action, I can see no reason why she shouldn't act on it, and I reckon that her finishing kick prove to be the decisive factor here.Nightime is bound to be popular after storming home to a six-length victory in the Irish 1,000 Guineas at The Curragh on May 28, and given that she's had just three career starts thus far, there could be more to come from her.However, despite the sixth home Confidential Lady landing the French Oaks next time out, I believe that the form of that race should be treated with caution, as the conditions were testing, and the second home was a 50/1 shot and the third is exposed as a Group 3 performer.Commensurate with be being by Galileo, Nightime handles plenty of cut in the ground with aplomb and, unlike Price Tag, she doesn't shape as though this faster surface will suit. Naturally, any horse Dermot Weld sends abroad for a race has to be respected, but I'm very keen to oppose this one.Race For The Stars has the ability to go well and she should be better suited by this going compared to the heavy ground when she was fourth to Nightime at The Curragh. But I doubt she'll be good enough anyway.Flashy Wings has yet to conclusively proves that she has the stamina for this mile trip having demonstrated plenty of natural speed in her races last season, while the form of the Godolphin stable continues to raise doubts as to the wellbeing of their horses, so 1,000 Guineas fourth Silca's Sister is hard to back with confidence.At a decent price, I have to recommend a small saver on the John Gosden-trained Nannina, however, as I fancied her for the 1,000 Guineas, in which she was well below par and wasn't given a hard time when it was evident that she wasn't going to get involved in the finish.She has speed, stamina and is proven on fast ground, so has ticks in boxes that a lot of these don't, and her narrow verdict over Alexandrova in last season's Fillies' Mile at Newmarket looks all the better for the latter sauntered home in the Oaks on June 2.It's slightly disconcerting that she comes into this race on the back of such a disappointing effort, but the daughter of Medicean possesses the requisite ability to go very close in a race of this nature, and at 8/1 with Stan James she is well worth a couple of quid of anyone's money.Verdict - 1pt Price Tag @ 6/1 (totesport) & 0.50pts Nannina @ 8/1 (Stan James)