Precise Fends Off Coronation Stakes Challengers

Precise (IRE), the 1-2 favorite, confirmed her status as a potential champion 3-year-old filly with a sparkling success under Ryan Moore in the Coronation Stakes (G1) June 19 at the Royal Ascot meeting. A hugely impressive winner of the Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1) previously, the push-button acceleration of Precise enabled her to seize command 2 furlongs out in Friday's 1-mile around-the-turn race for 3-year-old fillies. She stayed on well to beat Touleen (GB) by a 1 1/2 lengths, with Aidan O'Brien stablemate True Love (IRE) a neck back in third. Although slower into her stride than perhaps connections would have anticipated, Precise did everything else perfectly and the sky looks her limit at a mile, as well as a mile and a quarter. "I rode her into a good rhythm. She stays very well. She's very good," Moore said of the daughter of Starspangledbanner (AUS). "Ten furlongs would be within her compass, but she's very good at a mile. "Aidan (O'Brien) has lots of good fillies in the yard. I suppose we'll get her home and then see what we do with them all." Bookmaker Paddy Power reacted by making Precise, who is campaigned by the Coolmore-affiliated owners Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Westerberg, the 7-4 favorite (from 2-1) for the Falmouth Stakes (G1) at Newmarket Racecourse, a price which many may feel compelled to take. O'Brien, who brought up an incredible landmark of 100 Royal Ascot winners when Scandinavia landed the June 18 Gold Cup Stakes (G1), was lavish in his praise for Moore's ride in the Coronation. READ: Kentucky-Bred Scandinavia Edges Trawlerman in Gold Cup "Ryan was excellent on her," O'Brien said. "He was in no rush and took her round the outside rather than take a chance on the inner. "She's a lovely, progressive filly and you can do whatever you want on her. I'll talk to Ryan and the lads about where we go with her." Precise completed Friday's mile test in 1:39.58 on good-to-firm ground. Last year's highweight juvenile filly in England and Ireland secured the fourth group 1 victory of her career. Precise had been considered for the Epsom Oaks (G1) until O'Brien decided not to risk her on the soft ground there. With her trademark burst of acceleration and the distinct possibility she could be even better at distances farther than a mile, this is highly unlikely to be the last group 1 she wins. "Precise can do a lot of things. She can stay at a mile or she can step up in trip. I am grateful and thankful to everybody for getting her here," O'Brien said. "She gets a little bit lazy, but when you do ask her, she really opens up—that is just her." As for the third-place finisher, O'Brien added: "True Love ran a storming race and got trapped wide, which probably did not help her, but she ran a great race." Bred in Ireland by Whisperview Trading, Precise is out of the placed Galileo mare Way To My Heart, a full sister to stakes winner Kingfisher. Way To My Heart has produced three winners from four starters.