'She'll need to have come on a bit for her Guineas run and I think she has' - trainer quotes for a red-hot Coronation Stakes

Elmalka may have triumphed in the first Classic of the season but Roger Varian admits she will need to improve again to beat the hot favourite Opera Singer in the Coronation Stakes.

The daughter of Kingman was a 28-1 surprise winner of the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket last month when charging late to collar Ramatuelle on just her third career start.

She finished a neck ahead of Porta Fortuna, who joins Ramatuelle in search of revenge, but it is the Aidan O'Brien-trained Opera Singer who could prove Elmalka's biggest threat after a creditable pipe-opener when third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas.

"Elmalka seems in great form," said Varian. "She was entitled to be green in a big field like that, given it was only her third start and we'd have to think she’s still improving, it might be that she needs to if she's to win again here as all these fillies are progressing.

"It looks like we're going to run into a race-fit Opera Singer, who ran very well in Ireland, so she'll need to have come on a bit for her Guineas run and I think she has. She's come into this week nicely and she looks a picture at home."

Elmalka will bid to become the first horse since Winter in 2017 to complete the Guineas-Coronation Stakes double, and will aim to deliver her trainer a second Group 1 success of the week following the triumph of Charyn in the Queen Anne on Tuesday.

Elmalka (left) will take on Porta Fortuna (centre) and Ramatuelle in the Coronation StakesCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

While Silvestre de Sousa was on board for Charyn's win and Elmalka's Guineas success, James Doyle takes over the ride after missing Newmarket due to obligations for Wathnan Racing.

Varian added: "Nine fillies on the old mile at Ascot is very different to 16 in a straight line at Newmarket. This is a very different set-up but she's tactically versatile and very straightforward. I hope she'd handle the faster ground conditions, plus the track and trip should suit her, so we're very much looking forward to seeing her out again."

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'We didn't expect Opera Singer to run half as well as she did at the Curragh'

Third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas was enough to suggest Opera Singer could have the better of this year's Classic crop this summer as she looks to build on a dazzling juvenile season.

The Ballydoyle filly was a warm order for the Newmarket Classic after an impressive campaign last year, in which she was crowned champion two-year-old filly in Europe.

However, she suffered a setback and was rerouted to the Curragh, where her performance behind Fallen Angel was enough confirm to her trainer Aidan O'Brien she had retained all her old ability.

O'Brien said: "She had a hold-up earlier in the year so she missed the Guineas at Newmarket and she was only just about ready to start back in the Irish Guineas. 

Opera Singer: was a five-length winner of the Prix Marcel Boussac last yearCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

""We were over the moon with her at the Curragh as we knew she needed it. We had to run her there if we were going to Ascot and didn't expect her to run half as well as she did. She's done everything right at home since and she's come forward nicely, as we expected she would."

Opera Singer will be joined by Content, who also enjoyed a good juvenile season by placing in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf before disappointing in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches last month.

"We were originally going to go to France on Sunday for the French Oaks, but we've decided to come here instead," O'Brien said.  "The French Guineas didn’t work out for her as she was too keen in a slowly run race. She's been in good form since."

Oisin Murphy eyes more Group 1 glory with Ramatuelle

Ramatuelle was the unlucky loser in last month's 1,000 Guineas but Group 1 redemption may not be far away as Oisin Murphy takes over the ride for the Coronation Stakes.

Murphy replaces Aurelien Lemaitre, who was on board the filly for all seven of her previous starts, including when narrowly denied by Vandeek in the  Prix Morny on her final start as a juvenile.

She returned with another close defeat when second in the Prix Imprudence before heading to the Newmarket Classic, where she lost the race in the dying strides to Elmalka and Porta Fortuna.

"She was incredible in the Guineas and she almost did it," said trainer Christopher Head. "She's a swift filly and Aurelien didn't have to ask very much to get that speedy response.

"We now get to see if going round a turn will give her a better chance of getting the mile. She's been prepared for it. We wanted to give her a try in the Coronation [as opposed to the Commonwealth Cup] and the fact that it's against the fillies is all for the better."

Murphy will look to defy a difficult draw in stall one as he hunts for his second Group 1 success of the week following the success of Asfoora in the King Charles III Stakes.

The jockey said: "She was a classy two-year-old and has done nothing wrong this year. I've got a tricky draw in stall one but hopefully with a bit of luck she can give her running and we'll see how we get on. It's a very competitive race but she has a lot of quality."

What they say

Marco Botti, trainer of Folgaria
I'd put a line through her run at Longchamp. Nothing went to plan, she was a little keen and never really settled, so I don't think we saw the best of her. I wish there was a little bit of rain as we'd prefer a little bit of give in the ground. We want to give her another chance over a mile and we've got a good draw, but it's a very tough race and we'll take our chance with slightly different tactics.

Donnacha O'Brien, trainer of Porta Fortuna
She's in good form and we think the track and trip will suit. She'll like the fast ground too. It's a very hot race, but we hope she'll be bang there at the finish.

Nemone Routh, racing manager in France to the Aga Khan, owner of Rouhiya
She will have her ground, which is a big positive. It's a very competitive renewal, but we think she's progressive. She worked under Maxime Guyon with Calandagan on Les Aigles and they both went well. She's a big frame of a filly, so you would expect her to improve as the year goes on. She can get a bit worked up in the preliminaries but the red hood worked well for her before the Poule d'Essai.

Ralph Beckett, trainer of Skellet
The way she's been training suggests she's taken a step forward for her run at the Curragh.

Read the rest of our Royal Ascot previews:

2.30 Royal Ascot: 'She's well over-priced and will way outrun her odds' - can Fairy Godmother land a third Albany in a row for Ballydoyle?   

3.05 Royal Ascot: 'He could be open to a lot of improvement' - key trainer quotes and analysis for the Commonwealth Cup   

4.25 Royal Ascot: Willie Mullins unveils latest Diamond in bid for more Royal Ascot glory in Duke of Edinburgh   

5.05 Royal Ascot: Can Indelible be another winning favourite in the Sandringham? Key analysis and quotes for the fillies' handicap   

5.40 Royal Ascot: 'We know he's better than that' - Aidan O'Brien hoping Diego Velazquez can bounce back to form in King Edward VII Stakes     

6.15 Royal Ascot: 'He's favourite for a reason' - in-form Oisin Murphy eyeing more success in competitive handicap 

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