River Tiber (11/8 favourite) beats Army Ethos, Bucanero Fuerte and Givemethebeatboys to win the Group Two Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot; watch every race from Royal Ascot all live on Sky Sports Racing
Tuesday 20 June 2023 19:04, UK
River Tiber kept his unbeaten record intact to land the Group Two Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot on day one.
Impressive on his first two career starts this year, River Tiber was sent off a warm 11/8 favourite for the two-year-old sprint contest.
He needed a typically strong Ryan Moore ride to battle his way to the front and eventually see off Hollie Doyle on Archie Watson's Army Ethos, with the pair split across the track.
Just a neck separated the front two at the line, with Bucanero Fuerte in third ahead of Givemethebeatboys.
The victory was O'Brien's 10th Coventry success and his 82nd at Royal Ascot in total. He surpassed Sir Michael Stoute's all-time record with an 83rd victory through Paddington in the St James's Palace Stakes.
He told Sky Sports Racing: "Ryan gave him a super ride and I'm delighted for everybody involved. He's a very good horse.
"He's very exciting for us. The Phoenix Stakes looks the ideal race for him and then we can look at stepping up to seven [furlongs] in the autumn."
A proud Watson told Sky Sports Racing: "We've almost won two Coventrys in a row, which for a yard like us is massive. We couldn't be happier with him.
"He's always had so much class and he's done everything right there.
"I'd imagine we'll work around something like the Prix Morny now."
Nicky Henderson and William Buick teamed up to win the Ascot Stakes with talented dual-purpose mare Ahorsewithnoname.
Runner-up at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival, the eight-year-old successfully reverted to the Flat to win at Newbury and York last season before finishing fifth as favourite for the Cesarewitch.
She disappointed in her next couple of races over hurdles, but bounced back to winning ways at Cheltenham in April and was a 7/1 shot switching back to the level at Royal Ascot.
Always travelling well in midfield, Ahorsewithnoname got a dream run up the far rail in the latter stages of the two-and-a-half-mile contest and picked up under strong driving from the champion jockey to score by a length and three-quarters from Calling The Wind.
Bring On The Night, all the rage to go one better than when second in last year's renewal at 13/8 for Willie Mullins and Ryan Moore, suffered interference and was ultimately well beaten.
Henderson, better known as one of the sport's leading National Hunt trainers, was winning his second Ascot Stakes having previously struck gold with Veiled in 2011.
Royal Champion proved aptly named in giving jockey Jack Mitchell his first Royal Ascot winner, as he stayed on nicely to take the Listed Wolferton Stakes.
From an awkward draw in stall 12, Roger Varian's charge had to come three wide throughout in the 10-furlong contest, but he was always travelling well.
Mitchell got to the front a little sooner than he may have wanted, yet he had plenty to spare aboard Sheikh Mohammed Obaid's five-year-old, who was giving the owner a notable 577-1 double on the day, following Triple Time's 33/1 success in the opening Queen Anne Stakes.
Though Bolshoi Ballet showed plenty of determination, Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien were denied a treble, setting for the runner-up spot, while 3/1 favourite Buckaroo stayed on well to finish third.
Though Frankie Dettori loomed large on the inside on Saga approaching the three-furlong pole, there was to be no royal winner, as he failed to find a gap on the rail when they quickened up and the partnership finished fifth behind the 16/1 winner.
High-class hurdler Vauban looks like developing into an equally smart horse on the Flat following his facile victory in the Copper Horse Handicap.
His success completed a treble on the day for jockey Ryan Moore and gave him a 76th winner at Royal Ascot.
Rated 160 over hurdles, the Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old looked thrown in off a mark of 101 in this mile-and-three-quarters contest.
Winner of three top-level races over the sticks for owner Rich Ricci, he had just failed to make it four when chasing home stablemate State Man in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Punchestown on his last run in April.
Moore immediately kept it simple aboard the well-supported even-money favourite, sending him to the front early and though he looked under pressure turning in, Vauban quickened smartly and in a matter of strides approaching the two-furlong pole he powered away from his rivals.
It was a notable afternoon for Mullins, who started the day arriving in one of the royal carriages and ended it with a one-two in the last, with the Frankie Dettori-ridden Absurde a well-held seven-and-a-half-length runner-up.
