Coventry Stakes (Group 2)

BERKSHIRE Shadow produced a sizzling late run to land the Group 2 Coventry Stakes for Oisin Murphy and Andrew Balding, maintaining his unbeaten record in the process.

The six-furlong juvenile contest was run at a ferocious pace thanks to Wesley Ward’s Kaufymaker, who broke well and blazed for the first two furlongs with The Organiser, chased by the fancied pair Gisburn and Ebro River.

That pace did not relent, and those on the sharp end all faded out of contention at the finish, with the hold-up horses, notably those on the stands side, dominating.

Sweeping past

Berkshire Shadow had come from well off the pace to win on his debut at Newbury, and did so again here, finding a clear path close to the stands rail, and sweeping past tiring rivals for a length-and-a-quarter win at odds of 11/1.

With the early pace collapsing late, it was left to northern-trained outsiders Eldrickjones (Roger Fell/Danny Tudhope) and Vintage Clarets (Richard Fahey/Paul Hanagan) to fill the remaining places, the pair separated by a neck, with Donnacha O’Brien’s Masseto best of the fancied runners in fourth.

Winning owner Paul Spickett runs his horses in the red-and-white livery of his company Berkshire Parts & Panels, a motor factor company based in Aldermaston, only a few miles away from Balding’s Kingsclere yard. Spickett had his first runner at the meeting last year when Berkshire Rocco was second in the Queen’s Vase, and was understandably delighted with such a big win.

Oisin Murphy believes that his mount has plenty more to offer, perhaps aware of the 25/1 offered about him for next year’s 2000 Guineas:

“To look at, he looks big and immature. It’s only his second career start, he’s a big imposing horse who is going to improve a lot with time. He has done incredibly well. What a massive result for Kingsclere. It’s a special story – his owner has only owned horses for maybe five or six years, and to have a Royal Ascot winner is incredible.”

There were no real excuses in behind, although well-backed favourite Dhabab met trouble in running at a crucial point, and may have challenged for a place otherwise.

Rest of the card

THERE were shocks in both handicaps on the card on Ascot’s opening day, with the Ascot Stakes going to the in-form Ian Williams, whose 66/1 shot Reshoun, foiling the Willie Mullins-trained runner-up M C Muldoon by a short-head in a race run at a pedestrian pace which did not help the fancied horses.

William Buick was given an 11-day suspension and a fine of £1,150 for his use of the whip on the winner.

That race also saw a wholesale gamble on Emmet Mullins’s Cape Gentleman go astray, with the Rachael Blackmore-ridden favourite only fifth having come from well off the pace.

Overhauled

The Listed Wolferton Stakes saw Patrick Sarsfield start joint-favourite at 4/1, and he ran up to form, looking the likely winner early in the straight, only to be overhauled by Andrea Atzeni on Juan Elcano, who attracted late support into 14/1.

Kevin Ryan’s charge was a smart juvenile, but went the wrong way after a good fifth in the 2000 Guineas a year ago.

This was his first start after wind surgery, and it certainly helped him to see the race out better than when tried over this trip in the Hampton Court Stakes at this meeting last year.

Doyle wins again

The concluding Copper Horse Handicap over a mile and three-quarters went to Amtiyaz to give John and Thady Gosden a double on the day, with Hollie Doyle doing the steering in her capacity as retained rider for owner Imad Alsagar.

The 33/1 SP was perhaps a result of the gelding’s modest showing in the All-Weather Marathon Championship at Lingfield in March, but he was beaten by higher rated rivals there, and proved his ability on turf returned to more suitable company.

Doyle said: “Every Royal Ascot winner is special, but you can’t get much better than John Gosden. It was an amazing performance from Amtiyaz. He was campaigned on the all-weather in the winter and he was getting done for tactical speed.

“A galloping track today brought out more improvement. Mr Gosden fills you with confidence and allows you to ride your own pace.”