Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore will be hoping for another top-level Royal Ascot winner when Opera Singer lines up in the Coronation Stakes on Friday.
The daughter of Justify created a lasting impression when she demolished her rivals by five lengths in the Group 1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp last season. A small setback caused her to miss her intended engagement in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in May. Aidan O'Brien's filly would go on to make her reappearance in the Irish equivalent a few weeks later at the Curragh, shaping as she would come on significantly for the run after fading into third under Ryan Moore.
"We are very happy with her, and she is a filly who is not an exuberant worker. She was only in work four weeks before the Curragh and really if she had finished mid-div we would have been really happy," O'Brien told Racing TV.
"We knew if we were thinking of coming to Ascot, she would have to have a run and I was surprised with how well she ran really.
"She has been in good form since and everyone has been really happy with her. Her work has been nice and obviously, we're looking forward to seeing her again."
"She could do anything, and she could get much further than a mile. So, obviously, it is our second run this time and Ryan (Moore) will probably be a little bit more confident in her fitness this time. She is a big, straightforward filly really."
Fresh off the back of steering Kyprios to victory in yesterday's Gold Cup, Ryan Moore will be hoping he can stretch his record as the winning most currently active jockey at the royal meeting when partnering Opera Singer once more and although vary of dangers, he too is expecting a much-improved performance from her reappearance effort.
"She has a big chance, and conditions look good for her," Moore told Betfair.
"Obviously, this is an exceptionally hot race with the Newmarket 1-2-3 in here, as well as the French Guineas winner and other hopefuls, but we were delighted with Opera Singer's much-needed reappearance at the Curragh and hopefully you will now see the star filly that won the Boussac in such dominant fashion. If we do, then I expect a big run, but it's a deep race."
Paddy Power make Opera Singer an easy-to-back 11/4 chance after seeing strong support for the Newmarket 1000 Guineas third Ramatuelle, who will partnered by the in-form Oisin Murphy for the first time.
"The Coronation is a climbing mile the whole way, but there is a bend," said Murphy, who knows what it takes to win the race having partnered Alcohol Free to victory in the contest three years ago. "Alcohol Free was a very fast filly, like Ramatuelle, and she won the race on slow ground.
"It's very competitive, with the Guineas winners and Opera Singer, but Ramatuelle was very good at two and she's had a great preparation since the Guineas. The Newmarket run puts her right in the mix even though she didn't win."
