Royal Ascot’s second race each year, the Coventry Stakes for two-year-olds, is a really tough one to call with such little form in the book.
I think the favourite Brother Bear is easy to take on on this ground as he’s by Kodiac, whose progeny generally appreciate some cut.
His last win was on such ground so perhaps the likely fast conditions won’t be ideal.
There’s plenty to like about the second-favourite De Bruyne Horse for Richard Hannon, though, after he won well at Epsom from a subsequent winner.
He’s by a prolific sire of two-year-old winners and trained by a man best known for getting the most of that age bracket, so 13/2 looks pretty good.
However, I’ll always give Aidan O’Brien’s runners a lot of respect in this race and it’s interesting MURILLO is chosen by stable jockey Ryan Moore, getting the purple cap and all.
At 7/1 he’s of more interest on profile alone, as O’Brien will have trained him for this race and he’s by last year’s victorious sire Scatt Daddy, whose two-year-olds are brilliant over sprinting trips.
His half-sister Lady Aurelia trades favourite for the big Group One sprint on Tuesday’s card, the Kings Stand Stakes, and his half-brother Carravagio is a short-priced favourite for Friday’s Commonwealth Cup – a six-furlong Group One.
Murillo looks pretty handy on the track, too, after shrugging off a poor debut to easily win his maiden at Tipperary, with his jockey never touching the whip.
He has plenty to find on form but that hardly matters given the O’Brien stable’s approach to training horses; everything that’s come before will have been a stepping stone to this event, and he’ll have been primed.
7/1 seems plenty fair for the most powerful yard’s first choice.
Of the rest, I’m looking forward to see Prince Of The Dark run as I was a big fan of his sire Lethal Force, who won the Diamond Jubilee Stakes and July Cup back in 2014.
He might be the each-way value at a big price.
1pt win Murillo @7/1, 15:05 Ascot, Tuesday
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