Coventry Stakes |
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| Group 2, Ascot 15:05 £120,000 added, 2yo only, 6f, Class 1  |
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| Tuesday 16th June 2015 | |
1 Buratino 6/1
2 Air Force Blue 7/2
3 Eltezam 12/1
NR: Finnegan (IRE)
17 ran Distances: 2l, 2l, ¾l
TIME 1m 13.11s (slow by 0.51s)
Brilliant Buratino dominates to give both Mark Johnston and Godolphin their first Coventry Stakes winner
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Buratino scored impressively at Epsom and stepped up on that to land Royal Ascot's leading race for two-year-olds.
Carrying the colours of Godolphin for the first time, the son of Darley stallion Exceed And Excel exceeded the expectations of trainer Mark Johnston, but not for the first time. In the hands of William Buick, Buratino won by two lengths and two lengths and earned quotes of 14/1 and 16/1 for next year's QIPCO 2000 Guineas with Ladbrokes and MansionBet respectively.
After making his first runner in Europe for Godolphin a winning one, Johnston said: "He has lived up to expectations and more, because he was beaten at Sandown and Ascot, and the race he won at Epsom was quite different - it looked so impressive, but until you meet other six-furlong horses you don't know. I was delighted with him and the other two [fourth-placed Beaverbrook and fifth-placed Ode To Evening] who are both big scopey horses. At one point I thought we might have the first three.
"Stepping the winner up in trip to six furlongs has been the key, and William has now ridden him three times. He said Buratino has given him a better feel with every run. I overheard William saying to Sheikh Mohammed he wouldn't be afraid of trying seven furlongs later in the year. That said, he has a lot of speed as well.
"He's been a busy horse, and was the most experienced in the field today - he ran on the first day of the season at Chelmsford when I was in Dubai, and on that occasion Simon Crisford said to me, 'He's an Ascot horse, you should put him away for the Coventry'.
"I wasn't so sure, because Attraction won the Queen Mary on her fourth start - when you go to Royal Ascot you want experience under your belt. When he was beaten I thought it might have been the wrong approach, but I was proved right today.
"People ask me if he's improved between races, but I don't know because he does nothing at home but eat and sleep. He hasn't worked or galloped since the season started which is my normal approach - let's see what they can do on the racecourse, and it's worked out okay.
"I've known Godolphin for such a long time, over 20 years, and didn't feel any pressure today - it's the same people with the same owner. They made the decision to transfer to the Godolphin colours and it made no difference to me because they are the same win or lose."
Sheikh Mohammed, Godolphin's founder and driving force, declared: "It is very, very good to start with this win. He is a very good horse who is improving and Mark Johnston has done well.
"I love horses - I was born on a horse - and I love coming to Royal Ascot to see the horses here.
"He is my son Sheikh Hamdan's horse and we will discuss with him where he wants to go."
Ryan Moore rode Air Force Blue, trained by Aidan O'Brien, into second place, two lengths behind the winner Buratino.
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Harry Herbert, racing manager of Al Shaqab Racing, owners of third-placed Eltezam, was pleased with the Kodiac colt's efforts.
He said: "He's run a hell of a race, so we will take a view either to go to Newmarket or wait and go to Goodwood for the Vintage Stakes. We'll see how he comes out of the race. He got a little bit warm in the parade ring, but he's run a fantastic race."
Eltezam was ridden by Frankie Dettori, who said: "He travelled ok today, he just got quite warm. He would be the sort of horse who may in time go up in distance and that could suit him."
Coventry Stakes (Group 2)
£120,000 added, 2yo only, 6f, Class 1
17 ran
Going: Good to Firm
| Pos | Draw | Dist | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | (10) | Buratino (IRE) 6/1 | W Buick | M Johnston | 2 | |
| 2nd | (11) | 2 | Air Force Blue (USA) 7/2 | R L Moore 9-1 |
A P O'Brien | 2 |
| 3rd | (4) | 2 | Eltezam (IRE) 12/1 | L Dettori 9-1 |
R Hannon | 2 |
| 4th | (13) | ¾ | Beaverbrook 33/1 | James Doyle 9-1 |
M Johnston | 2 |
| 5th | (16) | ¾ | Ode To Evening 33/1 | James McDonald 9-1 |
M Johnston | 2 |
| 6th | (5) | 2 | Age Of Empire 12/1 | R Hughes 9-1 |
R Hannon | 2 |
| 7th | (12) | 2¾ | Round Two (IRE) 9/4f | K J Manning 9-1 |
J S Bolger | 2 |
| 8th | (14) | nk | Young John (IRE) 66/1 | T Hamilton 9-1 |
R A Fahey | 2 |
| 9th | (6) | nk | First Selection (SPA) 20/1 | S De Sousa 9-1 |
S Crisford | 2 |
| 10th | (18) | nse | Black Beach 25/1 | G F Carroll 9-1 |
J F Levins | 2 |
| 11th | (17) | ¾ | Sign of The Kodiac (IRE) 100/1 | T Eaves 9-1 |
J G Given | 2 |
| 12th | (1) | 1¼ | Sir Roger Moore (IRE) 25/1 | Andrea Atzeni 9-1 |
C Hills | 2 |
| 13th | (2) | nk | Maccus (IRE) 25/1 | J Fortune 9-1 |
B J Meehan | 2 |
| 14th | (15) | hd | Ocean Eleven 100/1 | A Kirby 9-1 |
J Ryan | 2 |
| 15th | (8) | 1¼ | Destroyer 100/1 | M Dwyer 9-1 |
W R Muir | 2 |
| 16th | (9) | 3¾ | Qeyaadah (IRE) 20/1 | P Hanagan 9-1 |
E A L Dunlop | 2 |
| 17th | (7) | 69 | War Department (IRE) 7/1 | T P Queally 9-1 |
W J Haggas | 2 |
| WN | (3) | Finnegan (IRE) 6/1 | Joel Rosario 9-1 |
Wesley Ward | 2 |
COVENTRY STAKES
Previous results
YEAR WINNER TRAINER JOCKEY OWNER AGE/WEIGHT SP
2014 THE WOW SIGNAL John Quinn Frankie Dettori Al Shaqab Racing 2-9-01 5/1JF
2013 WAR COMMAND Aidan O’Brien IRE J A Heffernan J Allen/Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith 2-9-01 20/1
2012 DAWN APPROACH Jim Bolger IRE Kevin Manning Jackie Bolger/J P Spain 2-9-01 7/2
2011 POWER Aidan O’Brien IRE Ryan Moore Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier 2-9-01 4/1F
2010 STRONG SUIT Richard Hannon Richard Hughes Julie Wood 2-9-01 15/8F
2009 CANFORD CLIFFS Richard Hannon Richard Hughes The Heffer Syndicate 2-9-01 7/4F
2008 ART CONNOISSEUR Michael Bell Jamie Spencer Richard Green 2-9-01 8/1
2007 HENRYTHENAVIGATOR Aidan O’Brien IRE Michael Kinane Sue Magnier 2-9-01 11/4F
2006 HELLVELYN Bryan Smart Ted Durcan Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed 2-9-01 4/1JF
2005 RED CLUBS Barry Hills Michael Hills Ronnie Arculli 2-8-12 11/2
2004 ICEMAN John Gosden Kieren Fallon Cheveley Park Stud 2-8-12 5/1JF
2003 THREE VALLEYS Roger Charlton Richard Hughes Khalid Abdullah 2-8-12 7/1
2002 STATUE OF LIBERTY Aidan O’Brien IRE Michael Kinane Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier 2-8-12 5/2F
2001 LANDSEER Aidan O’Brien IRE Jamie Spencer Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier 2-8-12 20/1
2000 CD EUROPE Mick Channon Steve Drowne Circular Distributors Ltd 2-8-12 8/1
1999 FASLIYEV Aidan O’Brien IRE Michael Kinane Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier 2-8-12 15/8F
1998 RED SEA Paul Cole Richard Quinn Fahd Salman 2-8-12 6/1
1997 HARBOUR MASTER Aidan O’Brien IRE Christy Roche Sue Magnier 2-8-12 16/1
1996VERGLAS Kevin Prendergast IRE Willie Supple Chryss O'Reilly 2 8-12 9/1
1995 ROYAL APPLAUSE Barry Hills Walter Swinburn Maktoum Al Maktoum 2 8-12 13/2
1994 SRI PEKAN Paul Cole Richard Quinn Sultan Ahmad Shah 2 8-13 6/1
1993 STONEHATCH Peter Chapple-Hyam John Reid Robert Sangster 2 8-13 EvensF
1992 PETARDIA Geoff Wragg Walter Swinburn Mollers Racing 2 8-13 5/1CF
1991 DILUM Paul Cole Alan Munro Fahd Salman 2 8-13 11/10 F
1990 MAC'S IMP Bill O'Gorman Alan Munro Tamdown Ltd 2 8-13 2/1F
1989 ROCK CITY Richard Hannon Willie Carson A F Budge (Equine) Ltd 2 8-13 9/1
1988 HIGH ESTATE Henry Cecil Steve Cauthen Jim Joel 2 8-13 10/11 F
1987 ALWAYS FAIR Michael Stoute Walter Swinburn Maktoum Al Maktoum 2 8-13 9/2
1986 CUTTING BLADE Lester Piggott Cash Asmussen Mahmoud Fustok 2 8-11 11/1
1985 SURE BLADE Barry Hills Brent Thomson Sheikh Mohammed 2 8-11 3/1F
1984 PRIMO DOMINIE Brian Swift John Reid Peter Wetzel 2 8-11 4/7F
1983 CHIEF SINGER Ron Sheather Ray Cochrane Jeff Smith 2 8-11 20/1
1982 HORAGE Matt McCormack Pat Eddery Ahmed Rachid 2 8-11 85/40
1981 RED SUNSET Guy Harwood Greville Starkey Paddy Burns 2 8-11 14/1
1980 RECITATION Guy Harwood Greville Starkey Anthony Bodie 2 8-11 11/1
1979 VARINGO Ryan Price Brian Taylor PTP Plant Hire Ltd 2 8-11 11/8F
1978 LAKE CITY Ryan Price Brian Taylor Harry Demetriou 2 8-11 7/1
1977 SOLINUS Vincent O'Brien IRE Lester Piggott Daniel Schwartz 2 8-11 7/4F
1976 CAWSTON'S CLOWN Neil Adam Taffy Thomas John Murrell 2 8-11 11/2
