3:45 Royal Ascot: Homecoming Queen to return to Guineas best

Homecoming Queen may have been a big disappointment on his latest start in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, but with favourable conditions at Royal Ascot, he can return to winning ways at 3/1 in the Coronation Stakes.

It was hard not to be suitably impressed with the way that Homecoming Queen romped to a nine-length victory in the 1,000 Guineas on ideal ground that was just on the soft side of good at Newmarket.

The ground was much faster at the Curragh and this can be blamed for the below-par showing of Homecoming Queen, who could only finish fourth behind Samitar.

With some more give underfoot at Ascot and the ground being described as soft, she will have no excuses this time and three of the last nine 1,000 Guineas winners to attempt to double up in the Coronation Stakes have succeeded.

Meanwhile, the favourite has won exactly half of the last ten renewals, which bodes well for Homecoming Queen.

Stablemate Maybe was expected to be a leading challenger, but she has now been withdrawn, leaving Elusive Kate as perhaps the big danger.

All of John Gosden’s entrants in the last ten years to have started at a price of 10/1 or shorter have at least finished in the each-way places and Starscope may be fancied to continue this statistic.

Starscope ran well to take second in the 1,000 Guineas and since finished third on her latest start at Newbury just behind Sirocco Star, over what looked an inadequate 1m2f.

She has place claims at worst at 7/1 in the Royal Ascot odds now back over 1m, although stable jockey William Buick is instead riding Fallen For You, which could be significant.

The interesting entrant looks to be Irish History at 16/1, who was a ready winner on debut before finishing seventh last time in a race against the boys.

However, she was massively inconvenienced in running up the inside rail which ruined any chance of victory and could be a smart prospect.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.