Royal Ascot: Top 4 Coventry Stakes winners

Three Valleys

Having caught the eye of Timeform’s on-course reporter when scoring impressively on debut at Nottingham (described as a well-made colt), Three Valleys put up a breath-taking display to win the Coventry Stakes, blitzing his rivals by seven lengths. It perhaps wasn’t the strongest renewal of the Coventry, but Three Valleys was phenomenally impressive nevertheless, routing his rivals in a terrific time, breaking the juvenile course record which had been held since 1986.

Three Valleys may have disappointed on his next start when a beaten odds-on favourite in the Phoenix Stakes, but he bounced back to win the Middle Park, confirming the promise of the wide-margin Coventry win. Three Valleys was subsequently stripped of his Middle Park win having failed a dope test, while he failed to make an impression in the 2000 Guineas the following season before moving to America, but his achievement at Royal Ascot shouldn’t be forgotten: he was a seriously talented juvenile.

Henrythenavigator

Henrythenavigator confirmed the promise of his wide-margin debut win when scoring at Royal Ascot, staying on strongly to prevail by three-quarters of a length. It didn’t appeal as the strongest renewal of the Coventry, however, and he was beaten on his next two outings, turned over at odds on in the Phoenix Stakes before having no answer to New Approach in the Futurity. Those defeats came in testing conditions, though, and Henrythenavigator would prove his true worth during his classic campaign when winning the 2000 Guineas, Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James’s Palace and Sussex Stakes.

A feature of Henrythenavigator's three-year-old campaign was the thrilling duels with Raven's Pass. Henry got the better of the argument at Newmarket, Ascot and Goodwood, but his superiorty was less clear-cut on each occasion and Raven's Pass turned the tables at Ascot in the QEII before again prevailing in the Breeders' Cup Classic, denying Coolmore victory in a race they have been desperate to win.

Canford Cliffs

A striking seven-length winner of a Newbury maiden on debut, Canford Cliffs was heavily supported to win the Coventry Stakes on just his second outing, and he didn’t let his supporters down, producing one of the most visually-stunning performances in the race’s history as he streaked clear to register a six-length win.

Canford Cliffs looked set to carry all before him but was beaten on his only subsequent start as a juvenile, finishing a close-up third in the Prix Morny. He again disappointed when a beaten odds-on favourite in the Greenham on his return, but he shaped with more promise when third in a strong renewal of the 2000 Guineas and proceeded to win five Group 1s in succession, the sequence only broken went he took on the imperious Frankel in the Sussex Stakes.

Dawn Approach

Successful on three starts prior to Royal Ascot, including when winning the first race of the 2012 Irish Flat turf season at the Curragh, Dawn Approach was well-fancied in a numerically-strong renewal of the Coventry, sent off as the 7/2 second favourite in the 22-runner field. It wasn’t all plain sailing, however, as Dawn Approach was under pressure at halfway, but he responded to his rider’s urgings in game fashion and stayed on powerfully to assert inside the final furlong.

A step up in trip unsurprisingly followed and Dawn Approach went through his juvenile campaign unbeaten, securing a pair of Group 1 prizes in the National and Dewhurst Stakes. Better was to come the following season, however, as he decimated his rivals in the 2000 Guineas and showed his trademark tenacity to get the better of a memorable duel with Toronado to win the St James’s Palace Stakes.