Precise comes nicely clear in the Coronation Stakes

Precise won the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot | report, reaction & replay

Horse Racing

Fri June 19, 2026 · 10h ago

The Aidan O'Brien-trained Precise (8/13 fav) got the clearest run through to comfortably see off Touleen in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

A lack of pace in the Group 1 feature on Friday was a worry beforehand and that proved the case in the race itself, with Rose Ghaiyyath and the wide-drawn Timeforshowcasing setting just modest fractions resulting in a sprint for home as the bell went turning in.

Ryan Moore had earlier moved the Irish 1000 Guineas winner towards the outside of the field before the dash for home started, and that proved a sanguine move as he committed her for the line early enough in order to avoid any scrimmaging.

Precise didn't appear to do much once in front, but picked up again when the chasing pack started to close.

As the field congested, it was runner-up Touleen (12/1) who was most inconvenienced, stopped in her run several times under Saffie Osborne before running on well once getting daylight. She was unlucky not to finish closer, but may have struggled to get past the winner who appeared to be idling in the lead.

The English 1000 Guineas winner True Love, who had chased home her stablemate Precise at The Curragh, attracted support pre-race but despite staying on quite strongly couldn't make a meaningful challenge. She was third at 5/2, a neck ahead of Moon Target who ran a career-best in fourth having travelled nicely throughout.

The win was a fourth Group 1 for the Ballydoyle filly.

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Reaction from winning connections

Winning rider Ryan Moore said: "She began a bit awkwardly, went forward, I was a bit further back but I rode her to get there in front, beautiful rhythm, wasn't really caring what position I was in, just kept her going forward, she's covered ground on the turn but I knew she was going to stay well. She's the best filly, there was no need to complicate it, and she's done what she had to do.

"I would say 10 is within her compass but she's good at a mile, plenty of good fillies in the yard so I suppose we'll get home, see what the others are doing and make a plan.

"It wasn't her fault she got beat first time up. She's a good filly, very good filly, high-class filly, beautifully trained."

Aidan O’Brien on Precise: “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. It will be interesting. When she gets there, she looks a little bit. Delighted, delighted for the lads. And True Love was third as well, lovely run.

“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.”

On True Love, he said: “True Love ran a storming race, and she got trapped wide and it probably didn’t go well for her, but she ran a great race.”

Precise and Ryan Moore win the Coronation Stakes

Connections of beaten horses

Saffie Osborne, rider of the runner-up, said: “On paper an amazing result to split the two Guineas winners, but frustrating in the manner that it happened. I switched out to follow Ryan turning in and I felt like I was going to have a beautiful trip through, and True Love loomed up on my outside and just pushed me back in, and it was frustrating considering the margin she was gaining at the line was ever-diminishing. A huge run, just frustrating in the manner that it happened.”

Touleen's trainer Owen Burrows added: “The other filly has finished third, so she was obviously there trying, but that is just the way it has worked out. Racing sometimes isn’t fair. You have to suck it up and take it on the chin and we will move on.

“She split two 1000 Guineas winners and has taken a big step forward from Newmarket so we are certainly in the right place. I do feel, for whatever reason, she has come forward a bit since the 1000 Guineas. It has definitely proved she is a Group 1 filly.

“I’ve not made any plans after this. We needed to see if she was going to be competitive at this level to see if we would still be here or if we were going to drop back, but I think we are in the right place.”

Moon Target's rider Luke Morris: “She’s finished off well - it’s nice to see she looks a genuine Group One filly going forwards. Her work at home’s been good, but she was coming in here without match practice compared to some of the others, so there was a little bit of a ‘how will she run?’ vibe.”

Royal Ascot 2026

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