Fallen For You showed an impressive turn of foot as she drew off in the final furlong to win the $422,500 Coronation Stakes (Eng-I) at Royal Ascot June 22. The eight-furlong contest was the highlight of the penultimate day of racing at the world-class Royal Ascot meeting.
The victory by the 3-year-old daughter of Dansili gave trainer John Gosden and jockey William Buick the second of three winners on the card. The trainer and jockey also teamed up with Newfangled in the Albany Stakes (Eng-III) and Gatewood in the listed Wolferton Handicap.
A field of 10 went to the post in the Coronation, reduced by two due to the scratches of Maybe and Elusive Kate. Favoritism fluctuated between Homecoming Queen, the nine-length winner of the QIPCO English One Thousand Guineas (Eng-I) and Samitar, winner of the Abu Dhabi Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-I). Many thought that Homecoming Queen held a slight advantage due to the soft going. The Aidan O'Brien-trained filly had similar course conditions at Newmarket when she won the Guineas.
Joseph O'Brien sent Homecoming Queen directly to the lead. They were tracked closely by Laugh Out Loud and Samitar, with Irish History just behind them in fourth. Buick was content to let Fallen For You settle toward the back of the field early on.
The order remained the same through the first half-mile, as Homecoming Queen led the field along at a good clip. Samitar had moved into second, as Irish History edged closer into third. Buick moved Fallen For You into the clear on the outside, and the filly looked poised to pounce on the leaders whenever her rider asked.
That moment came two furlongs from home, as Fallen For You accelerated past the leaders and took command. The dark bay or brown filly drew off through the final furlong to win by 3 1/4 lengths.
Starscope got up for second, with Irish History checking in third, another 2 1/4 lengths farther back. Samitar had to settle for fourth, while Homecoming Queen faded to eighth.
The final time for the mile was 1:42.95 over the good-to-soft going.
After the race, Gosden told reporters, "I always thought she was our best filly last year, but I gave the wrong instructions in the (Shadwell) Fillies' Mile.
"She trained beautifully, worked well last Sunday morning, and we were ready for a big run. She is classy. This is not a fluke."
Fallen For You was bred in England and races as a homebred for Normandie Stud. She is out of Fallen Star, a stakes-winning daughter of Brief Truce. She is a half sister to the stakes winner Fallen Idol (by Pivotal), and hails from the family of Highclere and Height of Fashion.
Estimate Provides the Queen with a Royal Winner
Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her first Royal Ascot winner in four years when her filly Estimate defeated colts in the two-mile Queen's Vase (Eng-III). The 3-year-old by Monsun demolished a field of talented colts, winning by five lengths.
Sir Michael Stoute trains Estimate for the Queen, whose last winner at Royal Ascot was Free Agent in the listed Chesham Stakes in 2008.
After the race Stoute told reporters, "It's a great thing (to have a Royal Ascot winner for the Queen). We'd hoped to do it with Carlton House, but we've done it here.
"I think the whole country would have appreciated a victory for Her Majesty."
Estimate now has won two of three starts for her connections. She was bred in Ireland by the Aga Khan, and is out of the stakes-winning Darshaan mare Ebaziya. Estimate is a half sister to champions Ebadiyla and Enzeli, and to group I winner Edabiya.
