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Coventry Stakes preview: Dan Briden guide

By Dan Briden

Horse Racing

Tue June 18, 2024 · 6M ago

Two-Year-Old Guide author Dan Briden has two against the field in the Coventry Stakes.

A typically interesting renewal of the Coventry Stakes that sees some the usual mixture of novice and maiden winners and those that have already been tried at a higher level.

Camille Pissarro (second in the Marble Hill Stakes) and Francisco’s Piece (winner of a 5f Listed event at Chantilly last time out) fall into the latter category, but it is the once-raced horses that make most appeal.

Cowardofthecounty made a very good first impression when cutting down the strong-travelling Whistlejacket to land a 6f maiden at the Curragh back in April, with that rival franking the form in no uncertain terms by winning a Listed contest next time out.

The ground that day was heavy and conditions this time around will be vastly different, but there’s nothing to suggest Cowardofthecounty won’t be fine with it on pedigree (from the good family of 2000 Guineas winner Footstepsinthesand). He laid down a good marker on debut, and it’s clear he has been set aside for this race ever since –wisely so, given he had a hard enough race on testing ground that day.

Free-spending Wathnan Racing are represented by a trio of once-raced debut winners, with retained rider James Doyle opting for Richard Fahey’s Catalyse. A £300,000 breeze up purchase, he quickened on request to make a winning start at Hamilton at the expense of fellow six-figure breeze up buy Motawahij.

Stablemate Columnist is by 2016 Windsor Castle Stakes winner Ardad and could hardly have impressed more when making all to readily account for five rivals in a 6f novice event at Chester last month. Tackling a stiffer six furlongs on a straight track against many more rivals presents Columnist with an entirely different scenario, but he clearly possesses a fair engine.

The third member of the Wathnan trio is the Archie Watson-trained Electrolyte. A £220,000 breeze up purchase, the son of Hello Youmzain made all to land a four-runner 6f event at Ayr last month, always doing enough to fend off the previously-experienced Haazeez. He boasts an identical profile to the yard’s 2023 runner-up Army Ethos, while their 2022 winner Bradsell also came into this race off the back of a single run.

Richard Hannon has yet to taste success in this race since taking over the licence from his father, who won the race in 1989, 2009 and 2010 with Rock City, Canford Cliffs and Strong Suit respectively.

The Actor is his sole representative this year. Having shaped with promise behind the re-opposing Arran in a 5f novice event at Newmarket’s Craven meeting, he went one better over the same course and distance at the Guineas meeting when edging out Tropical Breeze by a neck.

He looked ready for an extra furlong that day, and the form of that race could hardly have been better advertised since with the third, fourth (both of whom re-oppose here), sixth and seventh all winners next time out.

The aforementioned Arran represents the Paul and Oliver Cole stable, with Paul training the winner three times between 1991 and 1998. A €180,000 yearling, Arran showed both speed and professionalism when accounting for The Actor at Newmarket back in April. One assumes this has been the plan ever since, and his form been well advertised by the runner-up and fourth, but it remains to be seen if he can confirm the form with either of The Actor or Al Qudra given both were nowhere near as clued up on the day.

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The fourth from Newmarket, Al Qudra, is one of a couple of Charlie Appleby representatives - the other being Symbol of Honour. Al Qudra has taken a step forward on each of his three starts, relishing the sixth furlong when staying on strongly to see off six-figure breezer Soldier’s Heart by 2½ lengths at Lingfield a couple of weeks ago.

Symbol of Honour finished sixth behind The Actor at Newmarket on Guineas weekend, but the half-brother to demoted 2021 Commonwealth Cup ‘winner’ Dragon Symbol made amends when comfortably accounting for his rivals in a 6f maiden at Lingfield 11 days later. He still looked to have something to learn that day and whilst ultimately impressive, it could be this comes a bit too soon in his development.

Perhaps the most intriguing runner in the entire line-up is Raphael Freire’s €1,000,000 breeze up purchase Angelo Buonarroti.

A son of Justify, he’s out of a maiden sister to 2000 Guineas winner Churchill and Cheveley Park Stakes winner Clemmie, while grandam Meow finished second in the 2010 edition of the Queen Mary Stakes.

For all it’s easy to say this won’t be an easy task on debut, he comes into this a better-prepared newcomer than would often be the case given his eye-catching breeze and smart pedigree. He’s a fascinating contender in what is a fascinating renewal of this race.

For all the market has just about got him right now, COWARDOFTHECOUNTY have appealed as my idea of the winner of this race since his debut victory. Quicker conditions pose a new challenge but he’s hardly bred to be a mudlark. The Actor is open to a good amount of improvement now tackling a sixth furlong, while Al Qudra relished the extra distance when readily seeing off his rivals at Lingfield earlier this month to continue his run-to-run progression.

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