Unbeaten Hellvelyn Looks Smart

Hellvelyn received quotes varying from 10-1 to 33-1 for Classic honours after getting Royal Ascot off to a flying start for the North when winning the Coventry Stakes, the opening race on day one of the showpiece meeting.

Bryan Smart's colt, sent off the 4-1 joint-favourite, was always close to the pace in the Group Two contest and swept into the lead a few strides after the two-furlong pole.

Ted Durcan's mount responded superbly and was always holding Major Cadeaux to score by three-quarters of a length.

Peter Chapple-Hyam's Tariq stayed on to take third, one length further in arrears.

Although a group of three elected to go wide once the gates opened, the stands side was the place to be as Major Cadeaux and Hellvelyn took them along at a reasonable pace.

The latter was always travelling well, however, and tracked the every move of Richard Hannon's colt.

Aidan O'Brien's Holy Roman Emperor, the other joint-favourite, was the disappointment of the race and finished well down the field.

Thirsk-based Smart said: 'He's probably going to have a little break now. He's going to grow so I'm going to give him time to level off.

'He'll probably go for the Gimcrack and then the decent races in the autumn. I just think he's very good.

'I think he'll stay. When he won at Pontefract, Ted said he'd get seven furlongs now.'

Smart paid 100,000 guineas for the colt at the Doncaster Sales on behalf of Sheikh Rashid Bin Mohammed.

Bookmakers disagree on Hellvelyn's prospects of staying a mile in next year's Stan James 2000 Guineas. The sponsors make him 10-1 favourite but William Hill and totesport go 33s.

? PA Sport