'This is far from a one-horse race' - Royal Ascot talking points for day four

Albany is shaping up to be a hot race

Last year's Albany wasn't half bad given Mediate beat Mawj, but this year's running is looking even spicier and there is surely a whole host of subsequent Group 1 winners lurking in there.

Jabaara looked like a Ferrari in the final furlong of her Newmarket win, the form of maiden Carla's Way's victory at Doncaster has been handsomely franked and Soprano hit all the right notes on her debut too, posting a Racing Post Rating of 92 in the process.

Beautiful Diamond posted the same figure on her debut at Nottingham while the Irish invasion looks seriously strong too with Porta Fortuna, Navassa Island and the Aidan O'Brien pair Pearls And Rubies and Matrika all possibles. 

The Albany has been won by a few fillies in the last decade who didn't go on to scale the heights expected, but this year's race looks red-hot.

Commonwealth Cup is not the one-horse race the betting suggests

Little Big Bear was heavily shortened for the Commonwealth Cup after winning on his return to sprinting in the Sandy Lane, but he's very short in a race that looks far more open than the betting suggests.

Although his victory at Haydock was comfortable enough, the proximity of Shouldvebeenaring, rated 22lb lower, showed he didn't have to be at his best to win, something that was confirmed by his Racing Post Rating of 118. That was below the RPR of 123 he achieved in the Phoenix Stakes last year. 

Shaquille was also given an RPR of 118 for his victory in the Listed Carnarvon Stakes at Newbury last month. That was his fifth win from six starts and James Doyle retains the partnership rather than switching to the Godolphin-owned Noble Style, and yet he is five times the price of the Aidan O'Brien runner.

Let's also not forget the 2,000 Guineas seventh Sakheer and 1,000 Guineas eighth Lezoo. Both showed top-notch form at two and have lots of scope on this return to sprinting. Three of the last four winners of this had tackled a mile on their last start. This is far from a one-horse race.

Harry Wilson, reporter

Mawj v Tahiyra is not the only rivalry set to be resumed in Coronation

There will be plenty who don't wish to look beyond the front two in the betting for the Coronation Stakes, with Mawj and Tahiyra ready for round two following their drag-down knockout clash in the 1,000 Guineas. 

It would be foolish to suggest they don't have a major class edge on their rivals in terms of the hands already shown but two other rivals could also resume hostilities, with York one-two Sounds Of Heaven and Queen For You both open to plenty of upside. 

Sounds Of Heaven edged the debate by a short head in the Listed Oaks Farm Stables Fillies' Stakes at York, her first start since beating Boogie Woogie at Leopardstown last October. 

Queen For You has even less experience, having been thrown into stakes company on just her second start after making a winning debut over Ascot's straight mile in April. 

For those who like their family history, both Kingman fillies are bred for the Coronation. Queen For You's dam, Fallen For You, won the 2012 running, while Sounds Of Heaven is out of a full-sister to Hydrangea, who was third to stablemate Winter in this race in 2017. 

Scott Burton, France correspondent

Read these next:

Mawj and Tahiyra kept in contention for 1,000 Guineas rematch at Royal Ascot 

Eyecatching O'Brien handicappers and the juvenile race of the week - Royal Ascot day three talking points 

'Let's roll the dice' - supplemented Al Asifah odds-on for Ribblesdale Stakes 

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