Royal Ascot

Aidan O'Brien bids for a twelfth Coventry Stakes and holds a strong hand with a pair of promising sons of No Nay Never. Confucius, the choice of Ryan Moore, clocked a fast time when winning at Naas and commands major respect, but as things stand GREAT BARRIER REEF is the pick on form and he may represent a bit of value. British-trained hopefuls include the unbeaten Cut A Dash, Siouxperb, Royal Heritage and Ruler's Pride, the last two running for the formidable Wathnan operation. Twice-raced Mrair is a little down the pecking order on ratings but has stacks of potential and could go well at a price under Oisin Murphy.[Richard O'Brien]