Karl Burke is confident his Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Fallen Angel will prove a tough nut to crack when she bids to follow up in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
A Group One-winning two-year-old in the Moyglare Stud Stakes, the daughter of Too Darn Hot disappointed after going off favourite to provide her trainer with a first British Classic success in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, but showed her true colours on her return to the Curragh three weeks later.
She will face another stern test on day four of the Royal meeting, with Roger Varian's 1000 Guineas heroine Elmalka and Aidan O'Brien's Opera Singer, who will be expected to improve significantly after finishing third in the Irish Guineas on what was her belated reappearance, both in opposition.
Fallen Angel & Danny Tudhope after winning the @Tattersalls1766 Irish 1,000 Guineas @curraghrace pic.twitter.com/5TFU5iGsSh
— Irishracing.com Live (@IrishRacing365) May 26, 2024
Burke, though, feels his star filly is the one to beat.
"She's in great form, came back from Ireland in good order, she did a nice piece of work on Tuesday and we couldn't be happier with her," he told Sky Sports Racing.
"I thought it was a fantastic performance (at the Curragh), to be honest. She got into a great rhythm early and watching from the stands from halfway, I was pretty relaxed, I thought we had them all covered and I knew she'd keep galloping right to the line.
"It will be an interesting race, there's some great fillies in there and obviously Aidan's filly that was behind us at the Curragh is going to step forward, but they need to step forward, we only have to maintain our form from the Curragh for us to be the one to beat and, if anything, I don't see why she can't improve again.
"I don't think she's ground dependent whatsoever, if it's good ground or on the easy side of good or just on the quicker side of good, it will make no difference to Fallen Angel."
Whatever happens over the round mile at Ascot, Burke is already looking forward to stepping his filly up to a mile and a quarter later in the summer.
He added: "I would be strongly saying that she'll stay further. We toyed with the idea of going for the Prix de Diane on Sunday, but we'll save the step up for later in the year – there's only one Royal Ascot.
"The Nassau is one (possible race) at Goodwood, but I'd say she'll have a short break after Ascot. She'll have a short break after this, as she's had three quickish runs and been prepared all winter for a Guineas, so she'll have a short break and we'll bring her back in August, I'd imagine."
Comparing Fallen Angel to his former stable star Laurens, Burke said: "She's got a little bit to do to catch Laurens up, Laurens was a superb horse and I felt she never really got the credit she deserved.
"She won six Group Ones and was second in a Guineas and finished second in a couple of other Group Ones that could easily have gone her way.
"Fallen Angel is on her way to emulating her, but let's go and win this Coronation and then we can start talking about that."
