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Coronation Cup preview

Only fitting that we have a quality race called the Coronation Cup on Diamond Jubilee weekend. Regular contributor Jonathan da Silva, @creamontop, dons his Union Jack waistcoast and investigates this quality race.

Coronation Stakes

Wow this looks easy. 8/13 never has the Coronation been better named? Picked favourite now where's my lunch and why haven't I been on Sunday Forum for 2 weeks. Call me the Punter's Friend or a similar but snappier word. Here's your headline as well Sub' now buy me a vat of wine.

"St Nicholas Abbey To Get In The Habit"

Seriously he Müllered the 2nd favourite Beaten Up in Dubai. Facing stayers and some bits and pieces goodnight. Do I have to expand this to 500 words? Ok he won this last year and has run to RPR 123 or 124 6 times the next best has run to 121 yada. Tricky track but he beat Midday last year and ran to RPR 124. What more do you want?

Ummh Midday's jockey got chided for that ride slightly unfairly. Suggestion was St Nich' only looked the part once he hit the rising ground. That Midday lost every time she faced colts and geldings. The 3 lengths 3rd Clowance on good ground was beaten 9.25 the year before by Look Here - 19 lengths by Harbinger on Good at Newbury, Is that 124 rating justified?

Was it a bad day, maybe. Can he come down the hill badly and still win running to 120 RPR. Yes. However 8/13 yes? No.

St Nich's Arc run is the best by him on a course with a decent downhill - Longchamp's false straight is not that pronounced either. It maybe luck that his best form was at Donny, Chester, Meydan and Churchill. It may have nothing to do with medication his best was at Meydan and Churchill. That whilst his Arc run was good he was easily brushed aside by the other horses at the business end notwithstanding a 123 RPR - Shareta [2nd] not exactly franking the prominent runners form either.

As a mature horse he's been below his best at mildly undulating Curragh, Ascot, Newmarket and Longchamp (Foy). Not far but far enough to make me want to take him on given doubts about what he achieved last year. His last run I thought was unimpressive for a horse likely not far off fit after Dubai. He took a long time to start to reel in a stable-mate. I really am not sure what his win in this last year was worth either.

So to the opposition

Masked Marvel an easy winner of the Leger but slaughtered 3 times taking on better horses over the 12 furlong trip.

Quest for Peace could be a Cumani improver but needs to be. Drilled the thick end of 5 Lengths by Al Kazeem of whom more later.

Robin Hood owned by Coolmore so would be stealing from the rich to give to the rich. If this was a mile and they let him get a furlong in front he would not win. He's no Bullet Train or Windsor Castle.

Red Cadeaux was certainly the EW value when there were 3 places. Not short of speed like many horses who do well in the Melbourne Cup and arguably improving at age 6. Should find 1 too good but if St Nich is below par and Beaten Up boils over not forlorn at 12s.

Finally the horribly named Beaten Up. He has run only 4 races. Over boiled some might say in Dubai some might say he was nowhere near good enough. Yet the way he dispatched Al Kazeem at Newbury has left a mark. Al Kazeem absolutely dotted up in a Group 2 at Newmarket running the best fraction in each of the last 6 furlongs and was powerless as the Haggas beast blew him away. It may also be advisable to see how Beaten Up is in the paddock before betting him albeit maybe 50,000 other punters doing the same might cost you the price.

Bets
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As a gelding Beaten Up could easily have chased Group 2 prize money or a Group 1 abroad but Haggas, who is arguably the anti Clive Brittain, comes right back to a Group 1.

4/1 Beaten Up
Home run swing on a Red Cadeaux Beaten Up reverse (maybe a SNA/RC saver)
Look at Red Cadeaux to beat Masked Marvel in any match bets.

You can read more of Jon's writing on his blog, ThereWeSaidIt.

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