Filly 'with a lot of speed' set to become her stable's second ever Royal Ascot runner after eyecatching Group 1 effort

Cercene is set to renew rivalry with Lake Victoria in next month's Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot as Joe Murphy's progressive filly bids to continue her climb up the ranks after an excellent third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas.

The Australia filly landed a Naas maiden in impressive style in September before finishing third on her seasonal return in the Group 3 Priory Belle at Leopardstown in March behind Swelter.

She followed that up with another fine effort in the same grade when runner-up to Atsila at the Curragh last month and reversed form with both Swelter and Atsila when four lengths behind Lake Victoria in the Irish 1,000 Guineas last weekend under Gary Carroll.

The Curragh Classic was dominated by those up with the pace and Cercene was one of the few to make any inroads late on, showing enough encouragement for connections to eye up a rematch with Lake Victoria in the Coronation Stakes. Cercene is priced between 33-1 and 50-1 with Lake Victoria heading the market as 4-5 favourite.

Cercene (left): finished third behind Lake Victoria at the CurraghCredit: Patrick McCann

Joe Murphy Jr, assistant trainer to his father and namesake, said: "We'll consider supplementing her for the Pretty Polly but the Coronation is the plan at the moment. When they quickened in the Guineas, Gary said she was a little bit flat footed but she finished off the race very well. He's quite confident she'll get a mile and a quarter but she is a filly with a lot of speed as well and she recorded the second-highest top speed in the race.

"Gustavus Weston [Platinum Jubilee, 2022] has been our only runner at Royal Ascot before so we're looking forward to it. A strongly run mile on the round course should suit her very well. As a physical specimen, she's quite a small filly but she has a lot of scope and length. She's obviously a very good filly and is improving so who knows where that improvement will end."

Having been placed twice at Group 3 level and in a Classic, Murphy is targeting a black type success with Cercene this year.

"Depending on how she runs at Ascot, we could drop her down to a Listed or Group 3 race to get that black type win. She'll get an entry in the Matron Stakes and maybe Goodwood but the ground at Ascot for the Fillies And Mares Stakes will probably be too slow for her."

Shiota (near): winner at the Curragh on SundayCredit: CAROLINE NORRIS

It was a good day's work for the yard on the Sunday of the Guineas meeting as Shiota landed the €50,000 fillies handicap after Cercene's career best in the Guineas. Shiota is set to reappear on Irish Derby weekend, where she will be joined by the stable's dual Listed and Group 3 scorer Lord Massusus who will bid for successive wins in the Celebration Stakes.

"Shiota will probably go for a three-year-old handicap at the Curragh on Derby weekend and there's a Listed race at Killarney in the middle of July which is also a possibility. She might go straight to the Listed race or we'll take in the handicap along the way. Lord Massusus will go back for the Celebration Stakes on Derby weekend which he won last year."

Coronation Stakes (4.20 Royal Ascot, June 20)
Betfair Sportsbook: 4-5 Lake Victoria, 7-2 Zarigana, 5 Desert Flower, 12 Exactly, Red Letter, Shes Perfect, 16 Bedtime Story, Chantilly Lace, 20 Flight, 25 bar.

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