3 minute read
Ger Lyons believes Cappella Sansevero's temperament will help him overcome the disadvantage of being away from home when he competes in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.
The unbeaten Showcasing colt gets his chance to tackle this fascinating Group Two contest after adding the Listed Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh to earlier wins at Dundalk and Naas.
This will be the first time in his short career than Cappella Sansevero has had to stay away overnight, but Lyons feels this horse can take it in his stride.
"I'm happy where we're drawn, 13 has been lucky for me," said the County Meath trainer.
"All the talking horses seem to be drawn together, so if we're beaten it will be because we've been beaten by better horses. There will be no excuses and I'm happy with my fellow.
"Unfortunately he has to spend a couple of nights outside his own stable, whereas local horses can travel on the day, but that's the only negative.
"He has a great temperament and I wouldn't swap him for the world."
The other horse unbeaten in three starts is Kool Kompany, who completed a hat-trick in a Listed race at Naas where the odds-on War Envoy, trained by Aidan O'Brien, was third and who renews rivalry.
"He has the best six-furlong two-year-old form in Europe, so why should we run away from anything," said Tim Palin, racing manager for owners Middleham Park Racing.
"He deserves to take his chance and we are looking forward to the race.
"War Envoy takes us on again, maybe a different War Envoy will turn up this time we'll just have to wait and see. Adaay looks a very smart horse, and there are plenty of once-raced maiden winners in the field."
Kool Kompany is trained by Richard Hannon, who has a second string to his bow in Dr No, winner of a Nottingham maiden on his second start.
The trainer told www.richardhannonracing.co.uk: "Kool Kompany is as chilled as his namesake (Vincent Kompany, the Manchester City captain who is on duty with Belgium in the World Cup), and he has done nothing wrong.
"He won there despite racing with the choke out early on and though he has plenty of speed, we think this stiff six furlongs will suit him well.
"Dr No showed us at Nottingham second time what we expected to see from him on his debut, and the ground is drying up again which is a bonus for him."
Connections of War Envoy believe the faster ground will see him in a better light.
"I was a little disappointed with him (when he lost), we hadn't done much with him since he won his maiden," the trainer's son and jockey Joseph O'Brien told At The Races.
"He travelled like the winner down to the two, but the ground was plenty slow for him. Back on quick ground, he worked nicely the other day, so hopefully he can come back to what we thought he was.
"He ran a solid race and hopefully he can improve five or six lengths."