As the Royal Ascot 2026 transitions into its second half, the atmosphere on the tracks is far from calming down. Horse racing fans can look forward to two more days packed with prestigious races and intense battles for championship. This year the annual meeting takes place between Tuesday, 16 June and Saturday, 20 June. Coronation Stakes is run on the fourth day and headlines its race card.
The Coronation Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race that accepts three year old fillies. It is run over a distance of 7 furlongs and 213 yards (1,603 metres). Inaugurated in 1840, the race received its name in honour of the coronation of Queen Victoria that took place two years prior.
The race often features fillies who have previously participated in 1,000 Guineas, the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (the French equivalent of the British 1,000 Guineas), or the Irish 1,000 Guineas. With the modern horse race classification system coming into force in 1971, Coronation Stakes first received the Group 2 status. It was later promoted to Group 1 in 1988.
In this article we will review the list of runners declared to participate in this year’s race, take a look at the race card for the entire fourth day, and dive into a detailed analysis of the market and experts’ favourites or most promising participants.
Coronation Stakes 2026 Racecard
The Royal Ascot 2026 will be conducted in the third week of June and last for five days. This horse racing fixture will include 35 races, evenly distributed across the entire course of the event. Coronation Stakes will be run on the fourth day of the meeting.
Day Four: Royal Ascot Friday (19 June)
- When: Friday, 19 June 2026
- Gate opening: 10:30 am
- Royal procession: 2:00 pm
- First race: 2:30 pm
- Headline race: 4:20 pm (Coronation Stakes)
- Last race: 6:10 pm
- Post racing entertainment: 6:20 pm
The daily race card for the Royal Ascot Friday 2026 is as follows:
Going: good (good to firm in places)
| Time | Race | Distance | Conditions |
| 2:30 pm | THE ALBANY STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 3) (CL 1) | 6f | 2YO £125,000.00 |
| 3:05 pm | THE COMMONWEALTH CUP (CLASS 1) (Group 1) (CL 1) | 6f | 3YO £700,000.00 |
| 3:40 pm | THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH STAKES (CLASS 2 HANDICAP) (GBBPLUS RACE) (CL 2) | 1m 3f 211y | 3YO+ £120,000.00 Rating 0-105 |
| 4:20 pm | THE CORONATION STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 1) (CL 1) | 7f 213y | 3YO £700,000.00 |
| 5:00 pm | THE SANDRINGHAM STAKES (CLASS 2 FILLIES’ HANDICAP) (CL 2) | 1m | 3YO £120,000.00 Rating 0-105 |
| 5:35 pm | THE KING EDWARD VII STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 2) (CL 1) | 1m 3f 211y | 3YO £250,000.00 |
| 6:10 pm | THE PALACE OF HOLYROODHOUSE (CLASS 2 HANDICAP) (CL 2) | 5f | 3YO £120,000.00 Rating 0-105 |
Coronation Stakes 2026 Runners
It is an honour for every racing horse to participate in a highly prestigious Royal Ascot race. As the Coronation Stakes doesn’t allow for repeated participation due to age limit, the team behind every filly on the track gives its best to bring the champion title home. Every year gives the spectators some incredible performances and promising runners to look forward to.
Currently, there are 25 runners announced to compete in this year’s race, but this number may change before the day of the race. Some of the jockeys for the race have already been announced, others are still awaiting confirmation.
The current full list of contenders, their jockeys and trainers runs as follows:
- Abashiri (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Charlie Appleby)
- America Queen (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Roger Hughes)
- Balantina (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Donnacha O’Brien)
- Beautify (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Adrian O’Brien)
- Black Caviar Gold (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Paddy Twomey)
- Diamond Necklace (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Adrian O’Brien)
- Drop Dead Gorgeous (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Adrian O’Brien)
- Edaja (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Francis Henri Graffard)
- Green Sense (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Joseph O’Brien)
- Moon Target (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Sir Mark Prescott)
- Narissa (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Francis Henri Graffard)
- Precise (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Adrian O’Brien)
- Rose Ghaiyyath (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Roger Hughes)
- Signora (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Adrian O’Brien)
- So Regal (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer John & Thady Gosden)
- Sugar Island (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Adrian O’Brien)
- Sukanya (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Jack Channon)
- Synchronicity (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Ed Walker)
- The Prettiest Star (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Ed Walker)
- Thundering On (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Joseph O’Brien)
- Timeforshowcasing (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Charlie Johnston)
- Touleen (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Owen Burrows)
- True Love (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Adrian O’Brien)
- Venetian Lace (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Charlie Johnston)
- Venosa (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Adrian O’Brien)
Who to Look Out for at Coronation Stakes 2026
Coronation Stakes is well known for bringing some of the best three year old fillies of the year to its tracks. Not only have some of them participated in one or more of the 1,000 Guineas competitions in Britain, Ireland, or France, but have also won both the Guineas and the Coronation Stakes. Because of the age restrictions, there are no multiple winners registered for this race.
The latest winner in 2025 was a chestnut filly Cercene. This was her debut appearance at the Ascot Racecourse. Out of the 6 races she ran in during the season, this was her only win. However, she showed some impressive results in two races, one prior and one after the Coronation Stakes, namely the Coolmore Stud Auguste Rodin Irish European Breeders Fund Athasi Stakes (Curragh Racecourse, May 2025) and Qatar Nassau Stakes (Goodwood Racecourse, July 2025). She came to the finish line second in both races. While Cercene can’t return for the race this season, so far she hasn’t been announced to participate in any other race. Cercene was trained by Joseph Murphy and led on the track by jockey Gary Carroll.
Precise
- Age: 3 years old
- Sex and colour: chestnut filly
- Trainer: Adrian O’Brien
- Major achievements: 5 out of 7 wins, including Irish 1,000 Guineas (May 2026) and bet365 Fillies’ Mile (October 2025)
In her maiden race of Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden in July 2025 at the Curragh Racecourse, Precise came to the finish line second after Quiet Mutiny. After that, she consistently won every race of the season she took part in. This included Virgin Bet Prestige Fillies’ Stakes at the Goodwood Racecourse in August 2025 and the highly prestigious bet365 Fillies’ Mile at the Newmarket Racecourse in October same year.
Aidan O’Brien’s charge started the current season by returning to Newmarket for the Betfred 1,000 Guineas Stakes in May but only finished in seventh place. However, she quickly recovered and triumphantly won the champion title at the Irish counterpart, the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas in Curragh three weeks later. This immediately propelled her to the heavy favourites of the market and racing experts.
Touleen
- Age: 3 years old
- Sex and colour: bay filly
- Trainer: Owen Burrows
- Major achievements: 2 out of 5 wins, including Gascare Services EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes (September 2025) and Get Best Odds Guaranteed With BetVictor ‘Newcomers’ Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (August 2025)
Debuting last season, Touleen won her two first races, Get Best Odds Guaranteed With BetVictor ‘Newcomers’ Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (August 2025) and Gascare Services EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes (September 2025). Although she didn’t follow this up with further wins, her overall performance caught the eye of the market.
Owen Burrows’s charge started this season at the Newbury Racecourse where she ran in the Fred Darling Stakes (currently branded as the Dubai Duty Free Stakes) in April 2026. She finished second behind Sukanya. Touleen then went on to participate in the Betfred 1,000 Guineas Stakes at the Newmarket Racecourse in May, but came to the finish line sixth. Despite this, she is currently considered a strong outsider and placed among the favourites.
True Love
- Age: 3 years old
- Sex and colour: bay filly
- Trainer: Adrian O’Brien
- Major achievements: 5 out of 10 wins, including 1,000 Guineas Stakes (May 2026) and Queen Mary Stakes (June 2025)
Another one of Adrian O’Brien’s charges on this year’s runners list, True Love has been a consistently stable runner since her debut race. Apart from five wins, she has four second placements. The only unplaced finish in her career so far took place in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at the Del Mar Racecourse (USA, October 2025, winner Cy Fair) where she finished eighth.
True Love isn’t new to the Ascot Racecourse, as last year she won in the Queen Mary Stakes (June 2025) during the Royal Ascot week. Even though her participation in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh Racecourse in May 2026 ended with a second place, coming behind Precise, her spectacular win in the British equivalent, the Betfred 1,000 Guineas Stakes, three weeks earlier made True Love one of the leading favourites for the Coronation Stakes.
Abashiri
- Age: 3 years old
- Sex and colour: bay filly
- Trainer: Charlie Appleby
- Major achievements: 1 out of 3 wins, including Bet 20 Get 20 With Unibet Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (November 2025)
With only three races in her record so far, Abashiri already caught the eye of both horse racing experts and the market. Her maiden race at the Kempton Park Racecourse (Bet 20 Get 20 With Unibet Maiden Fillies’ Stakes, November 2025) brought her her first win.
Charlie Appleby’s charge started the current season by running in the Betfred 1,000 Guineas Stakes (Newmarket Racecourse, May 2026, winner True Love) and finished fifth. Three weeks later she joined other promising 3 year old fillies in the Irish 1,000 Guineas (Curragh Racecourse, May 2026, winner Precise), where she came to the finish line third behind Precise and True Love.
The Prettiest Star
- Age: 3 years old
- Sex and colour: bay filly
- Trainer: Ed Walker
- Major achievements: 1 out of 3 wins, including Weatherbys Global Stallions App EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (August 2025)
The Prettiest Star made her debut in the Weatherbys Global Stallions App EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes at the Nottingham Racecourse in August 2025, where she won the champion title. Later the same year she ran in the Boyle Sports Home Of Early Payout Rockfel Stakes (Newmarket Racecourse, September 2025, winner Zanthos) and was placed second.
Currently Ed Walker’s charge is considered among one of the promising outsiders for the Coronation Stake. She sealed this status after she came fourth in the Betfred 1,000 Guineas Stakes (Newmarket Racecourse, May 2026, winner True Love), leaving behind such powerful rivals as Touleen and Precise.
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