Today's meeting:If any race at Royal Ascot this week deserves the title of championship decider, then it has to be today's Coronation Stakes where the remarkable Finsceal Beo leads a three-strong Irish team against the cream of the rest of Europe.
Jim Bolger's English and Irish 1,000 Guineas winner was only just denied a unique classic triple-crown in the French version by Darjina who again pitches her unbeaten record against Finsceal Beo in what looks a potential epic.
To tie up Europe's classic strands, there is also today's dark horse, the unbeaten German Guineas winner Mi Emma, while an argument can also be made for John Oxx's Newmarket runner-up Arch Swing if she gets her ideal ground conditions.
It's a race to savour in itself but yesterday Bolger was thinking even further ahead for Finsceal Beo who is in pursuit of a fourth Group One victory.
"I would be hoping to make it double digits with her in terms of Group One victories at some stage in the future. She has won three already so she is a third of the way there," he said.
Bolger still insists it was rain-softened ground that did for Finsceal Beo at Longchamp last month and also explains why she only narrowly won at the Curragh. The surface shouldn't be as much of a problem now, something that might not be the case for Darjina and a spokesman for the Aga Khan said yesterday: "She does handle good ground rather than fast so hopefully it will be good."
A quicker surface will suit all three Irish fillies, but especially Arch Swing whose run in the Irish Guineas can be ignored as she picked up a muscle problem when jumping from the stalls.
Before that Arch Swing was three lengths off Finsceal Beo at Newmarket where she wasn't helped by a wide draw. The Oxx runner does have ground to make up but could be an each way price to shake up the three classic winners against her.
Aidan O'Brien has the maiden Cherry Hinton in the Group One feature but the champion trainer could have another good afternoon, beginning with You'resothrilling in the Group Three Albany Stakes. This full sister to the champion Giant's Causeway is already a Group Three winner from Naas earlier this month when she had Wednesday's Queen Mary third and The Loan Express back in fifth.
That was a step up on You'resothrilling's debut when runner-up in a Stakes race and the highly regarded filly clearly has a progressive profile.
O'Brien runs the Epsom Derby eighth Yellowstone in the King Edward VII Stakes where the colt has ground to make up on Lucarno (fourth at Epsom) and Salford Mill (sixth.) Salford Mill will appreciate better ground than there was at Epsom and was running on noticeably well in the straight after coming from an unpromising position.
Horses that have run in the Derby have a chequered history in the "Ascot Derby" but Papal Bull won it last year and Salford Mill can go in too.
Mahler finished further back in the Derby but looks a type to relish the hike up to two miles for the Queens Vase. Michael Kinane's mount is versatile with ground and before Epsom had the look of a colt on the up, so much so that he was heavily backed into 20 to 1 for the blue riband event.2.30 - You'resothrilling
3.05 - Salford Mill
3.45 - Arch Swing
4.20 - Emirates Skyline
4.55 - Mahler
5.30 - Black Charmer
Brian O'Connor's Selections
