Venetian Sun shines in Commonwealth Cup as Royal Ascot filly star

Venetian Sun turned the Commonwealth Cup into a filly showcase, and she did it the hard way, by holding off the late run of 50-1 outsider Spicy Marg over six furlongs on good to firm ground at Royal Ascot. The 11-8 favorite landed the Group 1 for three-year-olds, with Division third, and in doing so sharpened the debate around whether this was just a peak effort or the start of a serious European sprint campaign.

The race has been built to identify the best of the crop, open to three-year-old colts and fillies but not geldings, and worth £650,000 in total prize money since its introduction in 2015. This renewal drew a deep field that included Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Brussels, Havana Anna, Havana Hurricane, Song of the Clyde, Coppull, Wise Approach, Rock On Thunder, Northern Champion, Outfielder, Kimi Rey, Zanthos and Super Soldier, yet the finish again belonged to the filly. Venetian Sun became only the latest to beat the boys in a race that has long been expected to belong to the fastest colts.

Her route to Ascot made the victory feel like more than a one-day flash. She had already won the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, then tried the mile in the 1000 Guineas and failed to stay. The rebound came in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock, where she re-established herself as a pure sprinter and set up a return to the six-furlong trip that now looks like her ideal domain. Clifford Lee said the Guineas confirmed Venetian Sun was “definitely a sprinter,” while Sean Graham, racing manager to part-owner Tony Bloom, said she was “in great form” and that a strong Ascot run could open “so many possibilities” for her.

For Karl Burke, the win fit a familiar pattern. He compared Venetian Sun to Quiet Reflection, who won the Commonwealth Cup in 2016 and later added the Sprint Cup, and Burke said he saw no reason this filly could not follow a similar path. The trainer also described her as “such a laid-back filly,” a temperament that has carried her from juvenile winner to Group 1 force. The result strengthened the standing of Burke, Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy, and it came with added emotion for Lee after a potentially career-ending motorbike accident last year.

Spicy Marg’s finish added another layer to the race. Michael Bell said he thought for 15 seconds they had the race before being “outbattled by a very good filly,” and suggested she could be supplemented for the July Cup. Venetian Sun, meanwhile, joined a small group of fillies to win the Commonwealth Cup, alongside Campanelle in 2021, and left Ascot with a far bigger question hanging over the summer: whether she can now become one of Europe’s defining young speed horses.