Scotsman flying ahead of Coventry Stakes

Simon Milham
June 11, 2022 11:19 am

Goodwood success was gained with some authority.

Oliver Cole is exuding confidence ahead of Royal Scotsman’s Coventry Stakes run at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

The son of Gleneagles looked raw in defeat on his debut over the minimum trip at Ascot early last month, but was a totally different proposition when stepped up to six furlongs at Goodwood 20 days later, powering home in a novices’ event to score by an easy five lengths.

The Fitri Hay-owned colt is currently a 12-1 chance with Coral for the Group Two contest, which looks set to be another strong renewal, with Godolphin’s Noble Style heading the market following his five-furlong Ascot novice victory on debut.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Well this is very nice
125,000gns buy Royal Scotsman (Gleneagles) builds on a promising debut fourth by slamming his rivals at @Goodwood_Races for @JimCrowley1978 & @whatcomberacing pic.twitter.com/XHJIPn5dcC
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 20, 2022

Yet Cole, who trains in partnership with his father, Paul, is increasingly hopeful that Royal Scotsman will prove his ability.

“He is spot on. Like all these things, every trainer will have high hopes for their horse, but he is pretty magical on the gallops. He doesn’t do much wrong.

“He is very generous in what he gives you. He is an exceptionally good horse. He didn’t surprise us at Goodwood.

“He disappointed us at Ascot first time when he was very green and didn’t know what he was doing, but that extra furlong helped and he learned a lot from it.”

Majestic Dawn (right) will lead the Coles' charge in the Wolferton Stakes — Majestic Dawn (right) will lead the Coles’ charge in the Wolferton Stakes (Alan Cowhurst/PA)

Among a strong team for the Royal meeting, the Coles will be represented by 2020 Cambridgeshire Handicap winner Majestic Dawn in Tuesday’s Listed Wolferton Stakes.

The six-year-old’s final run of last season saw him chase home current Group One Prince Of Wales’s Stakes favourite Bay Bridge in the Listed Jane Seymour at Newmarket.

Though last of four on his reappearance at Chester, he was not fully wound up and he showed his true colours when taking the Listed 10-furlong Festival Stakes at Goodwood last time.

Cole said: “He will run in the Wolferton. We knew he would blow up at Chester, as we said beforehand. After Goodwood, he is now spot on for the race on Tuesday.

“That horse of Sir Michael Stoute’s who won the Gordon Richards at Sandown the other day (Bay Bridge), we had to give him 4lb and he beat us by half a length last year at Newmarket – and that looks very good form.”

The Whatcombe-based handlers also feel that Sunningdale will out-run his current 50-1 odds in the Chesham Stakes on Saturday.

The son of Gleneagles was fourth on his five-furlong debut in a well-contested novice race at Windsor.

Cole added: “Sunningdale is a nice colt who will run in the Chesham. He has a profile a little like Royal Scotsman, as he was forth first-time-out. He is a hell of a lot better than that.

“We also have a nice filly called She’s Hot going for the Albany, who was second on her first run at Kempton.”