CHASING SHADOWS AT ASCOT

Ian Heitman assesses the two-year-old action at Royal Ascot

- Ian Heitman

The first three days at Royal Ascot were run on ideal fast ground for Flat racing. It was a completely difference story for the final two days with day four only going ahead after a late inspection following torrential rain which turned the ground from good to firm to heavy.

Coventry Stakes

The first of six two-year-old races at the meeting, the Group 2 Coventry Stakes run over 6f was the second race on the opening day. Five of the 17 horses went into the race having won their only starts and it was one of the five, Dhabab, who won 14 days earlier at Leicester who was the 4/1 favourite for John and Thady Gosden. They were also represented by another once-raced winner, Tolstoy who won at Yarmouth in mid-May. Aidan O’Brien, who was bidding for a 10th win in the race relied on The Acropolis, an easy winner of his second start at Listowel, and he was a 6/1 chance together with impressive Newbury scorer Gisburn for Richard Hannon.

Wesley Ward, who has had plenty of success with the juveniles he has sent over from the US, saddled the only filly in the line-up, Kaufymaker, who had won her only start at Keeneland. Like many of the Ward runners, Kaufymaker broke smartly but was taken on for the lead by The Organiser, who had landed a gamble when winning at York on his debut. Gisburn also raced prominently but he was too keen in the early part of the race and weakened out of contention with a furlong and a half to go, only beating two of his rivals.