26/07/2025
🏇 Why Chantilly Lace Stands Out at 2:20
1. Dropping Down from Group 1 Level
• Rated around 3/1, Chantilly Lace steps back to Group 3 company after two solid outings at the highest level—finishing mid-field behind Desert Flower and Cercene in the 1000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes, respectively. That form now looks strong on paper against this field .
• Her Royal Ascot fifth in the Coronation Stakes showed she may have still been learning; this drop in grade should suit her more .
2. Trainer & Jockey Confidence
• Under the care of Ralph Beckett, Chantilly Lace is in expert hands. Beckett typically manages his fillies thoughtfully and draws well at this level.
• William Buick, aboard, partners regularly with Chantilly Lace and helps maximize her potential—his tactical acumen could be decisive .
3. Form & Potential Ahead of Peers
• She’s built well on her Salisbury debut win and continued to show progress, even in defeat at the top level. Timeform rank her performance as rising in quality, despite still needing experience .
• Other contenders, such as Royal Dress or Pina Sonata, have listed or lower-level form, but Chantilly Lace holds recent Group 1 form—giving her a class edge .
4. Favourable Race Setup & Conditions
• The going at Ascot is Good, which suits her optimal style—she looked slightly outpaced earlier at good–firm but should relish today’s surface.
• As a weight-for-age 3yo, she benefits from a weight allowance against older fillies and mares—another advantage in a typically tactical 1m Group race .
✅ Verdict
Chantilly Lace arrives in top shape, dropping into Group 3 territory with recent exposure at the highest level behind elite fillies. With class on her side, a weight allowance, and a strong trainer–jockey combination, she ticks every box to resume winning ways.
Selection: Chantilly Lace to win the 2:20 Longines Valiant Stakes at Ascot.
