Keatley happy to go to Coventry with Francisco’s Piece

It has been eight years since Adrian Keatley tasted Classic success but he could have the horse to take him back to the big time when Francisco’s Piece goes for Royal Ascot glory in the Coventry Stakes.

Jet Setting gave Keatley his biggest winner to date when he claimed the Irish 1,000 Guineas in 2016 and the North Yorkshire Irishman has slowly rediscovered some gems in recent years.

Following a winning start at Pontefract, Francisco’s Piece went down fighting in front of the Shadow Army at York before giving a glimpse that his handle might have revealed the real deal when impressing at Listed level at Chantilly.

He now moves up to six furlongs as he approaches the opening weekend race for two-year-olds, and Francisco’s Piece’s story could take a further twist when he goes under the hammer at the Goffs London Sale.

“We’ve been delighted with him since he started his career with us and we’ve been delighted with all his performances,” said Keatley.

“He is unlucky not to have three ‘ones’ next to his name and he did very well with France. He is a horse with a great mind and traveled very well in France.

“We’re very happy heading into Tuesday’s race and we think he’s been crying out for the step up to six furlongs. Paul (Mulrennan, jockey) is very confident that he will really like the track and we are happy enough with the tie, being quite close to the middle.

“That’s what we’re doing every day of the week and trying to find these horses, so hopefully he can do the business for us.”

Charlie Appleby has never won Coventry but will hope to change that with his impressive Lingfield scorer Al Qudra joining stablemate Symbol Of Honor in the six-stop event.

“Al Qudra has had his three starts and won well in his last start. He has a bit of experience in the race and I feel the stiff six furlongs will suit him,” Appleby said in a Godolphin preview video.

“Symbol Of Honor was very green first time out at Newmarket but came on nicely to win well at Lingfield. He improved so much from the first to the second round and we feel he is back again.

“With any luck, we’ve got two competitive runners there.”

Al Qudra has previously finished behind Richard Hannon’s The Actor at Newmarket and as someone who helped his father send Canford Cliffs to win this contest in 2009, he is well qualified in his assessment that his colt is underrated in -a race without a standout. .

“He came in there under the radar, he’s a real two-year-old and I really like him,” Hannon said.

“He’s keeping it together mentally and I hope it’s a big race. He is a very nice horse, six furlongs will suit him. He’s got four extras and I’ve been excited about him since Newmarket.

“For me, I haven’t seen an outstanding two-year-old yet and he seems quite an open Coventry.”

Big-spending Wathnan Racing have three colts in the mix and, after leading up and down the country, retained jockey James Doyle chose to partner Richard Fahey’s Hamilton scorer Catalyze over fellow Archie Watson’s Columnist and Electrolyte stable.

“James will ride Catalyze in Coventry, he was impressive at Hamilton,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser to the owners. “There was another horse in the second row that was highly rated.

“It’s Coventry and it’s very tough. There will be a lot of horses going there with the same profile as him, but it’s great to go with a horse that has a chance, that’s all you can ask for.”

Camille Pissarro is the only entrant at Ballydoyle, while Aidan O’Brien’s Marble Hill Stakes runner-up is looking to follow up last year’s win for River Tiber connections.

“Obviously he made a really good start when he won on his debut at Navan and although he was narrowly beaten at Marble Hill last time I think that’s a strong line of form,” jockey Ryan Moore told Betfair.

“We think he’s improved and performed since that race – he’s still learning at the Curragh – and he’s got a good chance.

“He’s a nice, big, well-bred colt with something to recommend it, as are many here, really.”

As Moore identified, O’Brien’s son Joseph also has strong claims to impressive Curragh goalscorer Cowardofthecounty.

He has been retained fresh from his win in the early stages of the campaign and is joined in the line-up by Marble Hill Third Midnight Strike, whose form links well with Camille Pissarro.

Karl Burke’s Andesite and Richard Spencer’s Yah Mo Be There finished first and second when they clashed in a warm York heat in May and locked up again, while narrow runner-up Ingot at John and Thady Gosden’s Kempton, is trying to shed its primary label. the big stage.

“He is a well-bred son of Blue Point, out of a double Group 1 winner in the Integral,” said Chris Richardson, managing director of owners Cheveley Park Stud.

“He ran promisingly on debut, I’m not saying he’ll necessarily win but I think he deserves a chance.

“We’ll see if it can improve and see what happens.”

The Amo-racing Angelo Buonarroti-owned debutant, who fetched €1m at the recent flash sales, will be Raphael Freire’s first British runner.