Coronation Stakes Big Race Verdict: True Love to gain revenge on Precise in Friday fillies' feature

Has Moore chosen the right one?

The 1000 Guineas of the Royal meeting, and a race that has surprisingly eluded Aidan O'Brien since 2017 with the victory of Winter.

Ballydoyle are two-pronged for Friday's feature Group 1 - the Coronaton Stakes at 16:20 - with Newmarket 1000 Guineas winner True Love set for another tussle with Precise, who beat her in the Irish version with True Love turned over at an odds-on price.

The opening prices on the Sportsbook were very much in favour of Ryan Moore choosing Precise at 4/61.67, with True Love at 11/43.75. The early 14s were taking on Balantina and she was 11/112.00 when cut on Thursday morning.

Round three for the O'Brien pair

9 (6)

True Love (Ire)

• J: W. M. Lordan
• T: Aidan O'Brien, Ireland
• F:

True Love is very much a fast ground filly, and a very fast one too as not many complete the Queen Mary and Guineas double.

She was a 5f juvenile speedster at Ascot last year, well speedster in name, but visually she was always under pressure near-side to win over the minimum distance running a time of 59.65 and a piece of form with the second at 100/1101.00 not worth too much.

This term her and Precise met at Newmarket with Precise marooned somewhat to the far rail, but the way True Love floated from right to left was so exciting, added to the staying power in and out of the dip.

The more you watch her Guineas victory, the more staggered you are that she was fast enough to have won a Queen Mary.

Her 6f sectional at 10.93 was sublime in the QM - the only filly at that point to duck under 11 seconds. Precise almost exchanged positions with True Love at the Curragh last time, with True Love far rail and Precise swooping late down the centre of the track with an electrifying burst.

4 (5)

Precise (Ire)

• J: Ryan Moore
• T: Aidan O'Brien, Ireland
• F:

Visually it was sublime, on the clock her 7f time was the best at 11.13 seconds, which wasn't quite as fast the Newmarket sectional of her rival.

There really isn't a love to split the pair and when I first had a look at the race on Wednesday, Ryan Moore hadn't made a decision.

Precise holds a Timeform weight adjusted 130 for this, True Love at 129, and the form ratings from their two runs this term are 111 and 117 for True Love - her biggest figure her Guineas victory and Precise holds a the best with her Irish 1000 win rated 118+.

Away from those two, this wouldn't be anywhere near Group 1 status and we're lucky to have O'Brien rolling the dice for both.

Burrows' Touleen on a recovery mission

8 (4)

Touleen

• J: Saffie Osborne
• T: Owen Burrows
• F:

I will always have fond memories of this race, and the Shadwell silks that came back in record time in 2009 with the 1000 Guineas winner Ghanaati storming home were a sight to behold

I was lucky enough to be there for Timeform Radio with my good friend Dave Farrar, and not only had we sneaked a position on the winning post for Yeats' record-breaking fourth Gold Cup win (you can see two people on the line on the replay, and it's us), but we also managed to reflect with Ghanaati and Richard Hills a long way past the winning line 16 years ago in splendid silence and isolation.

Touleen isn't anywhere near her level, but she was strongly fancied in her Guineas trial at Newbury when turned over at a short price, and a sixth at Newmarket in the Classic means she has nearly 5L to find with True Love.

She was over the far side that day at HQ, like Precise, and it was her first attempt at 1m. She is on a recovery mission and Owen Burrows held the belief that her turn of foot deserted her in the Fred Darling.

The fact she is third in the betting gives the look of a weak Group 1. Sadly, and her form is around 14lb shy of the top two.

Own Burrows is a good trainer, thouigh, and he is still keeping the faith.

Tough ask for Del Mar winner off a break

There's a Breeders' Cup winner in the field.

Balantina won at Del Mar for Donnacha O'Brien as a two-year-old to show her liking for fast ground and she ran a fair race in the Albany over 6f at the meeting 12 months ago.

1 (2)

Balantina (Ire)

• J: Oisin Murphy
• T: Donnacha Aidan O'Brien, Ireland
• F:

Del Mar was quite special with Oisin Murphy conjuring up a daring route matched by an explosive turn of foot and she took to that sharp track with ease. O'Brien junior has said soft ground was the reason for under-par runs, and that surface doesn't really suit her.

Whether she can return off the shelf to win this is a big question.

Donnacha was keen to get a long break into her after Del Mar and going back to the Breeders' Cup appears to be the number one plan. A 231 day lay-off without a prep is a negative surely?

Tactics and pace map

Ballintina made the running as a juvenile over 6f but was held up at her first attempt over the razor sharp turns of Del Mar and I anticipate her to be ridden off the pace once more.

Touleen supposedly has a turn of foot, which we haven't seen this term, and if she has that weapon, she'll be held up too.

Precise (rear x2 it says on my notes) was unleashed from the back at the Curragh, while True Love is more a midfield racer and prominent.

Therefore front-running duties could lie with Timeforshowcasing, and going through each and every runner with all their doubts, could be left alone with an easy lead.

Alan Dudman's Big Race Verdict

1) True Love

2) Precise

3) Moon Target

With round two in store, I favour True Love as the way she finished off the Guineas at Newmarket with that electric burst at the sixth furlong sways me over Precise and with barely a pound between them, the 11/43.75 True Love price has to be taken in what essentially looks a match.

The outsiders are hard to fancy, but Moon Target has the potential to outrun her odds, as she did well to finish runner-up to Precise at Goodwood as a juvenile in the Prestige last year, but as a daughter of Cracksman was nowhere near quick enough for that test of dash.

She was a distance behind her in the Fillies' Mile, but that looked a typical end of season run and she's better than that. A stiff 1m on quick ground will help her I am sure and she did win fresh as a two-year-old first-time-out in 2025, a rarity for Sir Mark Prescott.

At 50/151.00, I don't expect a lot if I am honest and maybe I am hanging too much on that Goodwood run as a two-year-old, but on pedigree she should at least be a little better at a stiff mile.

Her closing section at 12.89 seconds at Goodwood was far superior to the placed horses in behind at 13.51 and 13.81 so if she can pick up a place, the 50s has written her off completely.

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