By Tom Frary
For the second consecutive year, Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup was all about the fillies on Friday with favourite backers ultimately breathing a sigh of relief as Venetian Sun (Starman) edged it from Spicy Marg (Starspangledbanner).
Always travelling notably smoothly for Clifford Lee up the centre of the track, last year's Prix Morny and Albany heroine had to fight to deny the 50-1 outsider and Tom Marquand in the run to the line but was equal to the task to record a head success. Next home was the stands' side “winner” Division (Kingman), a half length away in third.
In recent years, Karl Burke has become accustomed to winners at this meeting and so this was putting a welcome end to a drought this week. “It's definitely a relief–it's such a hard place to win at and we've had plenty of shots and haven't even been hitting posts,” he said of the 11-8 market-leader, who had bounced back from defeats over further in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and 1,000 Guineas to confirm herself a pure sprinter in the Sandy Lane last time. “I had a lot of faith in her–she is a great filly but she is what she is–she is such a laid-back filly.”
Denied the easier surface on which she truly shone at Haydock, Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy's starlet wasn't able to take off once committed this time and there were moments inside the final furlong that she looked under serious threat from Michael Bell's longshot. As she had at Deauville in August, she kept digging in to prevail and put herself back on top of the pile in this category.
“It was probably unusual the way she did it at Haydock last time,” her trainer added. “Everybody was talking about how good it was visually, which it was, but I think the softer ground had a lot to do with that. I think that is probably the reason why she hasn't been as visually impressive today, but she is still a Group 1 winner. I'm delighted for Clifford too. He is going the right way all the time and is riding better and better.”
Coming back from serious injury, this was even more momentous for the winning rider. “I had five and a half months off as I broke my C1, but I feel I have come back stronger and better,” Lee said. “It helps riding good horses and this filly had already got me my first Group 1 in France last year so to pull it off again this year is just fantastic.”
“We obviously tried to stretch her for the Guineas over the mile, but she has loads of boot,” he added. “I just told myself I would try and kid her into the race. I think it was probably at the furlong pole when I asked the question and she was just fantastic. Once I hit the front, she was just doing enough, but when the second horse came to me, she wouldn't let them get past.”
For owners that invest big such as Tony Bloom, these kind of results are the reason why. “What a horse Venetian Sun is to win this tremendous race. It is absolutely amazing,” he said. “We would probably prefer a little bit of cut in the ground, but she can race on all grounds and was tough enough in the end. The great racehorses do win these difficult finishes when it's close and she's a dream horse to have. We'd been confident, but you know how difficult it is to win a Group 1 at Royal Ascot. We've got lots to look forward to with her.”
Michael Bell said of Spicy Marg, “She is a smart filly and we have always thought she was very good. It is frustrating but, if you said coming here that we would be second, beaten a head by Venetian Sun, I would have snapped your hand off. She is not in the July Cup, so whether we supplement or go to York for the Group Three [the Summer Stakes] is up to Emma [Banks]. Realistically, we thought we would be fourth or fifth at best, then go to York, so on the back of that, what do we do? It is a nice conversation to have.”
VENETIAN SUN JUST GETS THERE AND LIFTS THE COMMONWEALTH CUP! pic.twitter.com/hgtXwEFRRB
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 19, 2026
Pedigree Notes
Venetian Sun's dual Listed-placed dam Johara (Iffraaj), who is also responsible for Mehmas's Listed Roses Stakes third Sir Yoshi, is a granddaughter of the Prix des Reservoirs winner and Prix Saint-Alary third Summertime Legacy (Darshaan).
She in turn produced the Group 1 winners Mandaean (Manduro) and Wavering (Refuse To Bend) and New Approach's Fillies' Mile third Winters Moon, who was responsible for the Middle Park-winning half-siblings Shadow Of Light and Earthlight. Johara's two-year-old filly Festive Moment (Kodiac) was a 625,000gns purchase by Henry Lascelles at Tattersalls October Book 1, while she also has a yearling filly by Cotai Glory and a colt foal by Big Evs.
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