Nick Luck’s blog: Grande run from the Dame in the Coronation

We’re into day four of the Royal meeting, and the quality is still unrivalled with the King Edward VII set up to be a great race.

Read on for Nick’s thoughts on all seven races from the fourth day.

MAWJ can continue a decent week for Saeed bin Suroor in the Albany at 3/1 on Friday (2.30pm). This well-bred filly made a serious impression on her debut, which looks about the best of the domestic form on offer. Progeny of Exceed and Excel have a tremendous record on the straight track here at Ascot, and the trainer’s horses are often bigger prices than should be the case.

EHRAZ can win at 13/2 in the Commonwealth Cup (3.05pm). The faster the ground, the better his chance, and he looked more than a shade unfortunate not to beat Tiber Flow at Newbury last time. He has shown a liking for this track, and can use his potent turn of foot to good effect. I’ll also be having a small each way interest in the huge priced HEIRARCHY, who loves fast ground and this track, and was ridden too aggressively last time. No such danger with James McDonald up.

MASHHOOR looks one of the likelier ones at 9/1 in the Duke of Edinburgh (3.40pm). He always looked a horse of some ability with Sir Michael Stoute, and was often quite well backed, but he has really found his stride since a move to Johnny Murtagh’s stable. He could scarcely have been more impressive at the Curragh last time and, for all he’s taken a hammering from the handicapper, he could be en-route to much better things.

GRANDE DAME can spring a minor surprise at 12/1 against a well credentialed field in the Coronation Stakes (4.20pm). When breaking her maiden here on debut, she glided around the round mile on fast ground and defeated a very smart filly in Mukaddaamah without coming off the bridle. I felt she shaped like much the best in her subsequent start at York where the slightly dead surface may have played against her. She’ll get a ground saving trip from her inside draw under Spencer, and she could easily get a piece of the place money at the very least.

WILDERNESS GIRL gets the nod at 22/1 in a typically tough Sandringham (5.00pm). She was thought good enough to contest the Prestige Stakes last year, and ran pretty well in the circumstances, particularly as she was hampered late. That run fully entitles her to at least this mark, she has a pedigree to do better still, should like the ground and gets Harry Davies’s five-pound claim in a race of fine margins.

LYSANDER is the selection at 10/3 in the King Edward VII (5.35pm). All the rage as a potential Derby horse before Goodwood, he was rather disappointing on the face of it. But that reckons without a ridiculously pedestrian pace and soft ground. He is from a family of strong stayers and could have this race (on what should be more suitable ground) set up nicely for him if Changingoftheguard is attended for the lead by the free going Dark Moon rising and/or the visored Grand Alliance.

NYMPHADORA can build on her promising seasonal debut at 16/1 in the Palace of HolyroodHouse (6.10pm). She was a sharp sprinting juvenile who ran ok with no luck at this fixture, but I’ve always had in mind that a stiff five should suit best. She ran well despite market weakness in the face of an impossible task (trying to give weight to a very well treated horse) at Chester and looks primed for a big run.