By Tom Frary
Of the first three from last year's Middle Park to line up in Friday's G3 Commonwealth Cup Trial, David Armstrong's Coppull (Bated Breath) was the least-expected in the market but came back strongest to turn that form around.
Smartly away under Rossa Ryan in the course-and-distance prep for Royal Ascot's three-year-old sprint feature, the 7-2 shot who had won the Richmond at Goodwood and been third in the Coventry here as well as the Middle Park surged away from the main pack passing two out and was in front soon after.
Tackled by the 66-1 shot Midnight Tango (Night Of Thunder) on the run to the line, the Clive Cox-trained homebred battled to prevail by a neck, with the same margin back to the eye-catching third Division (Kingman) who compromised his winning chance at the break. The disappointment of the race was Godolphin's Middle Park hero Wise Approach (Mehmas), who failed to land a blow in fifth as the 2-1 favourite.
“We didn't go mad early and he was itching to get on with it,” his jockey said. “He quickened away well and probably got a bit idle. He has really grown up a lot mentally from two to three and is going the right way. He's going to have to step up in a Commonwealth Cup, but we haven't turned all the screws on him yet. Last year, we were calming him down a small bit but this year he's taking the right steps. Hopefully we'll have a bright future with him.”
Cox added, “He's wintered well, he hasn't grown a lot taller but he's got a lot stronger and matured mentally as well. He's bound to come forward for this and I'm pleased to see him start off like this. The Sandy Lane is a real possibility and a very logical step before coming back here for the Commonwealth Cup.”
Pedigree Notes
Coppull is the second foal out of Highfield Farm's Springwood Drive (Mayson), a daughter of the 20,000gns purchase Ocean Boulevard (Danehill Dancer) who was snapped up from the Meon Valley Stud draft at the 2015 Tattersalls July Sale. Responsible for the smart handicapper Bickerstaffe and fairly useful Coppull Hall Lane also by Armstrong's July Cup hero Mayson, she is out of Ventura Highway (Machiavellian) who produced the G3 Lingfield Derby Trial winner Allessandro Volta (Montjeu).
The fifth dam is the G2 Prix de l'Opera heroine Bella Colora (Bellypha), the half-sister to the Irish Oaks heroine Colorspin (High Top) and Irish Champion Stakes hero Cezanne (Ajdal) from the dam line of the famous tap-root mare Reprocolor (Jimmy Reppin). Included in the pedigree are the multiple Group scorer Poet (Pivotal), the G2 Dante Stakes winner Telecaster (New Approach) and the G2 Challenge Stakes winner Al Suhail (Dubawi). Springwood Drive's two-year-old filly Yarrow Bridge is by A'Ali, while she also has a yearling filly by Perfect Power.
Friday, Ascot, Britain
COMMONWEALTH CUP TRIAL STAKES (REGISTERED AS THE PAVILION STAKES)-G3, £95,000, Ascot, 5-1, 3yo, 6fT, 1:13.24, g/f.
1–COPPULL (GB), 129, c, 3, by Bated Breath (GB)
1st Dam: Springwood Drive (GB), by Mayson (GB)
2nd Dam: Ocean Boulevard (GB), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
3rd Dam: Ventura Highway (GB), by Machiavellian
O-Mr David W Armstrong; B-Highfield Farm LLP; T-Clive Cox;
J-Rossa Ryan. £53,875. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Eng, 6-3-0-2,
$304,917. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Midnight Tango (GB), 126, f, 3, Night Of Thunder (Ire)–Nina
Bailarina (GB), by Lope De Vega (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE.
O/B-Brightwalton Bloodstock Ltd; T-Ed Walker. £20,425.
3–Division (GB), 129, c, 3, Kingman (GB)–Pepita (Ire), by Sir
Prancealot (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (800,000gns Ylg '24
TATOCT). O-Wathnan Racing; B-Rockcliffe Stud; T-William
Haggas. £10,222.
Margins: NK, NK, 2. Odds: 3.50, 66.00, 10.00.
Also Ran: Ardisia (Ire), Wise Approach (Ire), Brussels (GB), Ghost Mode (Ire), Crown Relic (Aus).
Just holds on!
Coppull digs deep to land the Commonwealth Cup Trial at @Ascot for Clive Cox and @Rossaryan15… pic.twitter.com/GuXxl2EEEr
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 1, 2026
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