Venetian to Havana day in the Ascot Sun

FRIDAY’s first Group One contest is the Commonwealth Cup (3.05pm), a speed test for three-year-olds over Ascot’s straight six furlongs.

Course form at Ascot is always valuable and VENETIAN SUN has some of the best, having won the Albany over this trip at last’s year’s Royal meeting.

Karl Burke’s filly went on to win the Group One Prix Morny at Deauville later last summer, proving herself to be a out of the top drawer.

Prepared to return in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, she didn’t stay the trip on the Rowley Mile but was much happier when returned to six furlongs in the Sandy Lane at Haydock last time.

There she made light work of her opponents and if in the same form will take plenty of stopping here.

She’s too short for me for a bet in the World Pool Win and Place markets, but I’ll certainly be adding her to Quinella along with two others.

The first of those is HAVANA ANNA, another high-class juvenile, who won in Listed company last season before finishing a close-up second to True Love in the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes in September.

Donnacha O’Brien’s filly returned this season with a win in a Group Three at Naas and looks ready for this step back up to top-class company.

ZANTHOS is lightly raced after only four starts and has already displayed high-class form in that time.

She won her maiden over seven furlongs in impressive style last season and followed that with victory in the Group Two Rockfel Stakes on just her third start.

It’s worth forgiving her run in the French Guineas last time out on ground that was too soft for her.

Dropping back to six furlongs on fast going should suit and she’s worth including in our Quinella at a good price.

Later on, in the Group One Coronation Stakes (4.20pm), there’s the much-anticipated third instalment of the rivalry between Ballydoyle stablemates PRECISE and TRUE LOVE.

Precise probably wasn’t quite ready when disappointing in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on her return, when True Love took the honours, but she was well on top when they met in the Irish version last month.

I can’t look past the two Ballydoyle fillies, and they should have this race between them.

True Love chased Precise home at the Curragh, and I can see the same result here, so Precise to beat True Love in an Exacta with World Pool looks the right play.

POINTERS                                                                                    FRIDAY

Venetian Sun, Havana Anna, Zanthos (Quinella)             3.05pm               Royal Ascot

Precise, True Love (Exacta)                                                     4.20pm               Royal Ascot