Empress Josephine with Seamie Heffernan after winning the Irish 1,000 Guineas© Photo Healy Racing
Aidan O’Brien’s Guineas winners Mother Earth and the supplemented Empress Josephine head the 15 remaining fillies in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Mother Earth beat Saffron Beach at Newmarket, and then put up a bold display in the French equivalent when beaten just over a length by surprise winner Coeursamba.
Empress Josephine was supplemented for Friday’s Group One following her last-gasp win at the Curragh over stablemate Joan Of Arc — who has been taken out at the six-day stage. O’Brien has also left in Friendly.
His two sons Joseph and Donnacha both have live chances too.
Joseph’s Pretty Gorgeous and Donnacha’s Shale met several times last season with both enjoying a degree of success — but they also need to put disappointing runs on their reappearances behind them.
Henry de Bromhead has supplemented Flirting Bridge, second to Joan Of Arc in a 1,000 Guineas Trial, while Peter Schiergen has also added Novemba to the possible field.
Sir Michael Stoute has left in the unbeaten Potapova, impressive in her two starts to date but set for a massive leap in class.
Alcohol Free could represent Andrew Balding — having won the Fred Darling and finished fifth in the Guineas — while Ed Walker’s Primo Bacio, so impressive at York last time out, is another lively contender.
Richard Hannon’s beautifully bred Snow Lantern, Richard Fahey’s Fev Rover, third at Newmarket but bogged down in heavy ground at the Curragh, My Generation, Lullaby Moon and Oodnadatta complete the list.
