In his stakes debut and second start overall, 2-year-old Gstaad earned a decisive victory in the Coventry Stakes (G2) with a yawning three-length gap back to the placed horses in the opening 2-year-old contest of the week June 17 at Royal Ascot.
The 7-2 favorite, who raced in the nearside group, broke free of his rivals with a furlong and a half to go and powered clear up the center of the course in the style of a horse head and shoulders above his opponents. Winning trainer Aidan O'Brien was impressed by the son of Starspangledbanner and thinks he will stretch out.
"What can you say? He's a lovely horse," O'Brien said of the juvenile campaigned by Coolmore-affiliated Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith. "I'm delighted for the lads and for everyone. He didn't get out for a while and was standing in a queue, but won very nicely first time. He's making up into a very nice horse and looks like he'll definitely get seven furlongs."
Jockey Ryan Moore said Gstaad is moving forward.
"He was very impressive," Moore said. "I thought he traveled beautifully, and we got to the front a long way from home. He's a tall horse and is obviously improving with each run and that was a very good performance."
Do Or Do Not, rallied from toward the rear to finish second, although he never threatened the winner. He was followed by Coppull in third. The strong finish by the runner-up, a son of Space Blues, provided a bit of a surprise for his trainer, Ed Walker.
"I was surprised, to be honest! The Coventry isn't a race I'd have thought I'd be winning any time soon," Walker said. "Fair play to Simon (Sadler, owner); he wanted to roll the dice. I was quite happy to go and find a £40,000 novice at Carlisle, but he ran an absolute blinder and I'm really proud of him."
Walker said Do Or Do Not has made a good impression with his riders.
"He is a tough horse. Both Hector (Crouch) at York and Tom (Marquand) today said they thought he was a smart horse," Walker said. "He is just so laid back at home, so chilled, he probably doesn't show you a huge amount, but that's how you want them."
A scary thought for others in the division? O'Brien said Gstaad is not the top juvenile in his barn as that honor goes to Albert Einstein, who captured the Marble Hill Stakes (G3) in his second career start May 25 at the Curragh.
"Gstaad is a good horse in his own right but Albert Einstein has always been something else," O'Brien said. "He's something that we didn't have before. From the first day he worked, he's the most different horse we've ever seen. He's so quick. He's so big we had to back off him a little bit but he's very exciting."
This recap also includes detail from Ascot publicity.
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