At The Races's James Flaherty weighs up the credentials of every filly in the feature on day four of Royal Ascot on Friday, live on Sky Sports Racing. The feature contest on day four of Royal Ascot on Friday sees the fillies take centre stage. The Coronation Stakes at 4.20, live on Sky Sports Racing, often brings together the Classic winners from the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, plus its Irish and French equivalents. This year’s renewal is certainly worse off for the recent defection of Lake Victoria, the impressive Irish Guineas winner, while Desert Flower, the winner of the Newmarket edition, opted for the Oaks instead. We do have the (perhaps slightly controversial) winner of the French equivalent though, who is likely to divide opinion ahead of this interesting Group 1 contest. Watch every race of Royal Ascot 2025 live on Sky Sports Racing (Sky 415 | Virgin 519) from Tuesday 17th June to Saturday 21st June. 1.  CATHEDRAL  (6) D Egan | R M Beckett A maiden winner as well as Group 3 placed as a juvenile, Cathedral returned to action with a fourth in Listed company at Lingfield. That form has worked out very well, but she was getting weight from her elders that day. She steps up in trip here, although she didn’t exactly seem to be crying out for that and the stables other runner seems more fancied.  2.  CERCENE  (1) G F Carroll | J G Murphy Cercene has improved with every start this season. Her most recent effort when third in the Irish 2,000 Guineas is the pick of those efforts, when I didn’t give her much chance of reversing the form with Atsila. If she can improve again, she could certainly be in the frame for the places, but it would be a poor renewal if she doesn’t find one or two better ultimately. 3.  CHANTILLY LACE  (5) Rossa Ryan | R M Beckett One would have to say it was a fair effort from her in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, having her first run of the season and just her second career start. To go from a Nottingham novice to getting within two-and-a-half lengths of a Classic is a fair step forward and surely there is more to come from Ralph Beckett’s filly, who is the choice of Rossa Ryan. 4.  DUTY FIRST  (8) Hollie Doyle | A Watson Archie Watson’s filly was an impressive winner of the Dubai Duty Free (registered as the Fred Darling) at Newbury over seven furlongs but couldn’t back that up in either Guineas. In fairness, her Curragh effort was better than Newmarket when I don’t think the track really suited, but it still leaves her with half a length to find on Cercene, and I’m not sure if Duty First is progressing like her. That is before we even mention the others. 5.  EXACTLY  (4) W M Lordan | A P O'Brien Exactly didn’t have a clear run herself in what was a rather messy contest at Parislongchamp last month and she was a close fourth at the death. Zarigana did come from behind her though and another look at that race would make it difficult for O’Brien’s filly to reverse the form. I’m not sure she has improved on her juvenile form so far this season. 6.  FALAKEYAH  (2) Jim Crowley | Owen Burrows The New Bay filly was an impressive debut winner at Wolves last November but that was an ordinary contest, and she left that miles behind when winning the Pretty Polly at Newmarket on return. That was authoritative and the third has won a listed race since. I think stepping back to a mile will suit as she showed loads of speed last time and I can see why connections decided to supplement her. It is hard to know how high she could go. 7.  FLIGHT  (11) Oisin Murphy | Ollie Sangster Flight put up a big performance in the1000 Guineas at Newmarket, finishing second behind Desert Flower, while possibly slightly disadvantaged by how the race developed. I am wondering if that is the ceiling of her ability though and she was unable to step forward on that at the Curragh, when only sixth. She needs to reproduce her Newmarket form. 8.  JANUARY  (10) R L Moore | A P O'Brien Steadily progressive last year as a juvenile before finding Desert Flower too hot to handle at Newmarket in the Fillies’ Mile. Her vulnerability when meeting true Group 1 performers was again exposed in the Irish 1000 Guineas last time. That was her first run of the season though and many from the yard are improving plenty for the initial outing. She will need to though if she is to give O’Brien a first winner of this race since 2017. 9. KON TIKI  (3) W Buick | Jane Chapple-Hyam Followed up her maiden success last December with a promising display at Kempton in a novice event in April. She had Life Is Beautiful behind on that occasion, who subsequently chased home Falakeyah in the Pretty Polly. Kon Tiki franked the form herself at York, taking another step in the right direction. She is another in the completely unexposed bracket, even if she hasn’t quite impressed these eyes like some of the others have. 10. SIMMERING  (7) D McMonagle | Ollie Sangster She disappointed in the Dubai Duty Free at Newbury, but she produced a much better effort in the Guineas when finishing third. It is more like the Newbury effort at the Curragh last time and she is starting to look exposed now. Her best form would give her a chance but she has been inconsistent this season. Perhaps a return to Ascot where she has good form, or the first-time cheekpieces, will spark her into life. ZARIGANA  (9) M Barzalona | F Graffard The Classic winner sets the standard in here. She has won four of her five starts, although only getting the result in the steward’s room last time. She would have been an unlucky loser in my book, as things didn’t go her way through the race. That form has its question marks, but this may not be the strongest ever renewal. Whatever beats her will probably win, if there is any filly good enough. The yard won the race in 2019. JAMES FLAHERTY'S VERDICT Zarigana sets the standard, but I just haven’t been blown away by her this season and I feel like the standard set is not beyond reach for some of the less exposed types. As a result, marginal preference is for FALAKEYAH for Ow en Burrows, a trainer I really like. I felt her Newmarket success on Guineas weekend had a sprinkling of stardust about it, despite clearly still learning her job. She took that race apart from an early stage and I’m excited about her dropping back in trip to a mile. She was able to comfortably travel at a high cruising speed, and I think over this shorter trip, we will see a more powerful finishing effort. In fairness, she did well to see it out as well as she did at Newmarket considering how keen she was in the first half of the race. I tend to be drawn to the less exposed “potential” and Falakeyah certainly has that in abundance, while it is hard to knock Zarigana who looks solid. Chantilly Lace might fare best of those at bigger prices.Falakeyah is the play, even if I wouldn’t be chasing her price much further. 5-2 is fair in my opinion though and 9-4 acceptable. Watch every race of Royal Ascot 2025 live on Sky Sports Racing (Sky 415 | Virgin 519) from Tuesday 17th June to Saturday 21st June.