Royal Ascot: Ryan Moore made to work hard as Precise bags Coronation Stakes crown on day four

Precise backed up her victory in the Irish 1,000 Guineas by landing the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The Starspangledbanner filly was slowly away and towards the back of field alongside stablemate True Love in the early exchanges.

Ryan Moore niggled the 8-13 market leader along midway through to take a much more prominent position, with True Love moving wide to get a run as Precise hit the front a furlong and a half out with True Love laying down the challenge.

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But the Aidan O'Brien-trained Precise had the rail and found more on the run to line to lead home Touleen, who had little luck in running under Saffie Osborne, by one a half lengths with Newmarket Guineas winner True Love having to settle for third.

O'Brien said: "It will be interesting to hear what Ryan said, she was a little bit slow away, I thought he did great on her, he kept out, kept her out of trouble. Delighted with her.

"Delighted for everybody. I thought Ryan was very good on her. When she gets there, she looks a little bit.

"She can do a lot of stuff, she can stay at a mile, she can step up, it will be interesting to see what Ryan says. I'm grateful and thankful to everybody for getting her here.

"She gets a little bit lazy, but when you do ask her, she really opens up - but that's her.

"I think Ryan will probably say he was probably there a little bit earlier than he wanted, because he had to move early because he was very wide and he didn't have any choice. I think she did great.

"True Love ran a storming race, she got trapped wide and it probably didn't go well for her but she ran a great race."

Venetian Sun shines for Burke and Lee in Commonwealth Cup

Venetian Sun justified warm favouritism when fighting off the late charge of outsider Spicy Marg to land her second win at Royal Ascot in the Commonwealth Cup.

Twelve months after lifting the Albany Stakes on the same card, Karl Burke's three-year-old filly took the running up a furlong from home and held Spicy Marg under Clifford Lee. Michael Bell's Spicy Marg, a 50-1 shot, was just a head adrift, with Division in third.

Victory for Lee aboard the 11-8 market leader was an emotional one, completing a remarkable return to the top for the rider after suffering a potentially career-ending motorbike accident last year.

Burke said: "She is what she is, she's such a laid-back filly. It was probably unusual the way she did it at Haydock last time, everyone was talking about how good it was visually, which it was, but I think the ground had a lot to do with that.

"I've said it before a few times; Clifford Lee, even when he was winning Group races on her, said she was feeling the ground. Haydock was probably the first time she's raced on soft ground.

"I think that's the reason she's not been as visually impressive, but she's still a Group One winner."

Causeway paves the way to another for O'Brien and Moore

Causeway ground down Ancient Egypt to extend his winning run to five in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Sent off the even-money favourite after early-season success in the Madrid handicap, Tetrarch Stakes and Group Three Gallinule Stakes most recently, Aidan O'Brien's son of Wootton Bassett tracked the pace set by the forward-going duo of Golden Story and Ancient Egypt in the early stages of the Group Two event.

When the pace increased rounding the turn it was Charlie Johnston's Ancient Egypt who made his bid for home looking to quickly bounce back from finishing down the field in the Derby.

However, it seemed inevitable Causeway would reel him in and with Moore having a target trained on the Amo runner's back, he moved to the front half a furlong from home and held on for a neck verdict.

It was a sixth win of the week for Moore, who also landed the day's feature aboard O'Brien's Precise and was taking his Royal Ascot tally to 98, just two away now from his own century just a day after the master of Ballydoyle achieved that landmark thanks to Scandinavia in the Gold Cup.

Libertango powers to impressive Albany Stakes success

Libertango rocketed from last to first to upset red-hot favourite Sun Goddess and win the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Jolivette was up with the pace and was the first to get a run at the two-furlong pole, with Aidan O'Brien's Sun Goddess (10-11 favourite) handily placed in the middle of the pack when the gaps started appearing.

Ryan Moore sent Sun Goddess to the head of the field approaching the final furlong, but there was little he could do about Libertango (6-1) on his outside who swept forward in the hands of Billy Loughnane to score by a going-away length, giving trainer George Boughey a third winner of the week.

Opportunity denied the King and Queen a Royal Ascot winner through Warrant Holder in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes.

It is three years since Desert Hero brought the house down by carrying the royal silks to success in the King George V Stakes and confidence was seemingly high in their latest contender, who was a 16-5 second-favourite to strike gold on day four.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the William Buick-ridden Warrant Holder looked likely to prevail after travelling smoothly into contention rounding the home turn and then hitting the front passing the two-furlong marker.

But New Zealand-born, Hong Kong-based rider James McDonald came from further back and got a dream run up the rail aboard the William Haggas-trained 6-1 shot Opportunity to spoil the party, with a length and three-quarters separating the pair at the line.

Joseph O'Brien got his fifth winner for the week after his Green Carrera (8-1) ploughed a long furrow up the stands rail under Mickael Barzalona to run away with the Sandringham Handicap.

Racing alone the three-year-old hit the front a furlong from home and came clean away from Symbol Of Majesty in the centre of the track, winning by two lengths with Rosa Inglesa third.

(c) Sky Sports 2026: Royal Ascot: Ryan Moore made to work hard as Precise bags Coronation Stakes crown on day four