Updates from the opening day of the royal meeting Greg Wood’s preview and tips | Mail Tony3.05 COVENTRY STAKES previewAidan O’Brien is looking for a third win in four years – and a record-extending 12th success in all - in one of the juvenile highlights of the meeting, and his two main contenders have flip-flopped in the betting since Ryan Moore’s name appeared against Confucius at declaration time on Sunday morning. The general wisdom had been that O’Brien’s No.1 would be aboard the unbeaten Great Barrier Reef, a Group Three winner at the Curragh last time, but Wayne Lordan, the latest incumbent of what is surely the finest No.2 role in the game, gets the leg-up on that one while Moore is aboard Confucius, who was beaten first time up but got a maiden win on the board at Naas in May. The 22-runner field has many live alternatives, however, including Cut A Dash, from the Richard Hannon yard, who made a winning debut at York’s Dante meeting, and Night In Vegas, trained by Eve Johnston Houghton, who won first time up over this track and trip and then followed up in a three-runner contest at Goodwood. Ruler’s Pride, who cost £550k at the breeze-up sales in the spring, is another live contender for the Karl Burke stable, and he was backed as though defeat was out of the question for his three-runner debut at Ayr. Royal Heritage posted a good time when winning his only start so far at Hamilton, and Siouxperb (Archie Watson/Hector Crouch) is another once-raced winner to ponder, thanks to a four-length debut success at Yarmouth which was again very much heralded in the market. Continue reading...