Coppull Confirms His Potential with a Strong Showing in the Richmond Stakes

David Armstrong’s colt bounced back from his third-place finish in the Coventry Stakes to deliver a commanding performance in the Richmond Stakes, positioning himself as a leading contender for the Middle Park Stakes. He was closely chased home by Puerto Rico and Havana Hurricane, who completed the exacta and trifecta respectively

Coppull Showed Up Close to the Crowd in a Victory Signaling Big Things to Come/ GOODWOOD

CHICHESTER, Inglaterra (Special for Turf Diario).- Third in Royal Ascot’s Coventry Stakes (G2), Coppull showed improvement to capture Thursday’s Markel Richmond Stakes (G2-1200m, soft turf) at Goodwood, controlling the race from start to finish on the home straight.

The son of Bated Breath, racing in the colors of his breeder and owner David Armstrong, won by two lengths over Puerto Rico (No Nay Never), with Ascot winner Havana Hurricane (Havana Grey) finishing a neck further back in third.

This marked trainer Clive Cox’s third victory in this traditional contest, having previously won with Golden Horde(Lethal Force, 2019) and Supremacy (Mehmas, 2020), both subsequent G1 winners.

“I was worried about the ground because Coppull has a very smooth action on firm tracks,” Cox commented. “He’s very quick and handled it really well. For Sophie and David Armstrong, who breed as well as race, there are many years of work behind this. It gives me huge satisfaction to help them achieve it.”

He added, “I’m still not sure he can perform on really soft ground. If we’d been in the next race on the card, that would have been more testing. But he showed he’s very good. He’s a talented colt, in the mold of Supremacy or Golden Horde. A pure sprinter, and the main target will be the Middle Park.”

“Physically, he has size and scope, and I don’t see why he wouldn’t make a very good three-year-old too. The time between Ascot and today suited him well, and I think he still has a lot to offer if he stays mentally sound.”

Jockey David Probert, who will leave England at the end of August to ride in Hong Kong, said: “Coppull improved a lot after his third in the Coventry, where he was a bit anxious. It was good to see him relaxed today, and this track probably suited him as it was a bit quicker. The plan was to get as close to the far rail as possible, which helped especially because he’s still green — this was only his third outing. He got into a rhythm early and finished strongly in the last 300 meters. He’s a developing two-year-old with a great mindset.”

On his imminent move, Probert added: “I’m riding good horses, so it’s a shame to leave now. But I’ve been lucky in my career, and both Clive and Andrew Balding have given me plenty of opportunities. I leave on August 28, so I have about four more weeks here, including York.”

Trainer Aidan O’Brien, who prepares runner-up Puerto Rico, said: “I’m very happy with his race. It was a very good effort. I think he’ll be pleased when he steps up to 1400 meters.”

Meanwhile, Eve Johnson Houghton, responsible for Havana Hurricane, noted: “He ran well but the soft ground made it difficult. He doesn’t have the same turn of foot he shows on firm ground. He’s very brave and tried hard. He’s entered in the Gimcrack at York, though I think that might be too soon, so we’ll probably aim for the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury.”