Cover Up
This is obviously hugely competitive, but I think that Cover Up’s chance has been under-rated by the market. I'm not sure that the quality of his run in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot has been generally appreciated.
He had no luck at Ascot, when we had him on side at a big price. He was held up early, as is his wont, and he started to make his ground alongside the ultimate winner Mission Central. However, whereas Mission Central enjoyed a clear path down the near side, Cover Up ran into trouble among horses. He finished 13thin the end. He might not have beaten the winner even with a clear run, but he might have gone close. He was second fastest of all through the penultimate furlong, he was just faster than Mission Central, and he was still fifth fastest through the final furlong, even though rider James McDonald allowed him coast home once his winning chance had gone.
The Curragh is not an ideal track for hold-up horses, but the straight track is better than the round track in that regard, and there is lots of pace on here, so there is a big chance that he will get the fast pace that suits him well. He has Bucanero Fuerte just beside him in stall nine, and he likes to go fast, and Jakajaro isn’t too far away in stall five, so he should get a nice tow into the race.
Five furlongs is his trip more than six, he won a listed race and a Group 2 race in Dubai over the minimum trip during the winter. He just needs a fast pace at the trip. And that run at Ascot was his first run since he returned from Dubai, so he could come on for it.
COVER UP WON (ADV 7/1, SP 7/1)
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