Gstaad records sizzling Coventry Stakes success

Gstaad blew the Coventry Stakes field apart to give Aidan O’Brien an 11th win in the Royal Ascot feature.

Sent off the 7-2 favourite and drawn on the near side, his group appeared to be behind for much of the way before Ryan Moore sent him towards the centre of the track with two furlongs to run.

It never really looked in doubt from there and he came home three lengths clear of 80-1 outsider Do Or Do Not on the far side, with Coppull third at 66-1.

O’Brien said: “I’m absolutely delighted and he looks a very good horse, doesn’t he – you don’t win the Coventry like that often and he was visually very good.

“We’ve always loved him and he’s only had the one run, obviously, but has always worked like a good horse. This was the first horse Ryan rode when he came over in January or February time and he was highly thought of then.

“He’s big, he’s scopey and goes with his head down and is very genuine and he looks like he will get further than six. He has all the attributes.

“I’d imagine we would go for a Group One now and the Prix Morny is what they usually do after winning this.”

The long-time favourite for this race was Gstaad’s stablemate Albert Einstein before he suffered a setback earlier this month, ruling him out of the meeting.”

Comparing his winner to the potential star confined to barracks at Ballydoyle, O’Brien added: “Albert Einstein was always something very different and a very quick horse, incredibly quick from the day we worked him.

“Gstaad is a big horse who travels well and with lots of speed. We always thought this was a top-tier horse alongside Albert, but your man was just so fast it was different.”

Of Do Or Do Not, Ed Walker said: “I’m quite surprised, to be honest! The Coventry is not a race I thought I’d be winning anytime soon, but fair play to Simon (Sadler, owner) he felt like rolling the dice.

“I was quite happy to go and find a forty grand novice at Carlisle, but he ran an absolute blinder and I’m really proud of him. He’s a tough horse.”