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The Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot was first run in 1890 and is the most valuable race at the meeting for two-year-olds. Many of these contenders will line up in future Group One races in the not-too-distant future.
Usually, the winner of this race wins on their most recent outing as nine of the last ten have done and when they have won they have usually done so by at least a couple of lengths. The only horse to defy those stats was Nando Parrado in 2020, but that was a strange year with the country at the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
It also often pays to be proven over the distance as 60% of recent winners had all done so. It usually pays to stick with horses at the top of the market as only 40 % of the last ten winners won at double-figure prices.
Aidan O’Brien is the leading trainer of the most winners in this race and he has taken the prize back to Ballydoyle on nine separate occasions since his first win with Harbour Master in 1997 and six of those nine winners were sent off as favourites.
Who are the Contenders?
River Tiber comes here defending an unblemished record and tries to give Aidan O’Brien a tenth winner of this particular race. The son of Wootton Bassett has won over the minimum of five furlongs when last seen out at Naas having won over an extended five furlongs at Navan on his racecourse debut. Doubters will point to the fact that he has not proven himself over this trip and the form he brings has not set the world on fire. He does come from a yard very much in form though and who loves nothing more than to win this race.
Asadna has proven to be all the rage with the bookmakers in recent days and has been backed down from double-figure prices for George Boughey. A wide berth in stall 17 could prove problematic, so he does need to find improvement from somewhere. He couldn’t have been any more impressive on his debut winning a novice stakes at Ripon by 12 lengths, but this is a different kettle of fish altogether.
Givemethebeatboys represents a bang in form Jessica Harrington yard and stepped up to win a Group Three race at The Curragh last month. Unexposed and could well be anything, and when they bring horses over here it is generally not just for the fresh air.
Wesley Ward has an interesting challenger from the US In Fandom. He has only made one racecourse appearance and that came at Keeneland back in April. His somewhat scintillating debut showed him winning by ten lengths, although only one horse from that race has come out to win since.
Bobsleigh could well go well at a half-decent price. Unbeaten in two starts the gelded son of Elzaam won by over a couple of lengths on debut at Brighton races. He was raised in grade to contest the Woodcote at Epsom over this trip and was given a peach of a ride by Charlie Bishop. He was delivered fast and late and could well pounce again if his rivals set off like scalded cats.
Army Ethos won by over three lengths on debut at Ayr and Archie Watson knows how to get one ready for this meeting. He is once again set to be partnered by Hollie Doyle and if improving in the manner that we know he could, he has the potential to make the frame.
Coventry Stakes Betting Tips
It is very hard to get away from River Tiber given that he is the mount of Ryan Moore and comes here undefeated. The yard has a phenomenal record in the Coventry Stakes and he has done everything asked of him to date. He has done nothing to indicate that he will not see out the extra yardage and he looks very much the one to beat.
The best of the rest could well be Fandom who is set to wear first-time blinkers. He is very likely to know his job and Wesley Ward will have left no stone unturned in preparing him for this. He looks like a live each-way alternative. Here are my top Ascot tips for the Coventry Stakes:
River Tiber @ 15/8 with William Hill promo code
Givemethebeatboys @ 4/1 with Bet365 bonus code
Fandom @ 16/1 with Paddy Power promo code
All odds are accurate at the time of writing.
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