Nando Parrado Obliterates Coventry Tote

ASCOT, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND – Marie McCartan’s Nando Parrado made Royal Ascot history Saturday, becoming the highest-priced winner ever when he took the Coventry Stakes (G2) at 150/1 odds (116/1 stateside) on Day 5 of the 2020 Royal Ascot Meet.

Thunder Of Niagara initially went to the lead out of the gate, but Nando Parrado and jockey Adam Kirby soon met him up front, as did Creative Force. The latter narrowly held an advantage in the early running, but when the pace began to quicken, it was Nando Parrado who moved the swiftest.

Taking the lead as he neared the 1-furlong marker, Nando Parrado dispatched of his fellow front-runners, then held sway in the late stages to defeat Qaader by 1 length. The Clive Cox trainee completed the 6-furlong sprint over good going in a final time of 1:15.21.

“Nando Parrado has a very good trainer,” said Kirby, who also rode the Cox-conditioned Golden Horde to victory in Friday’s Commonwealth Cup (G1). “He galloped with a very smart horse five weeks ago. His work was above average – a very strong piece of work and he finished his work very well.”

Saeiqa finished third over Dark Lion, then came Painless Potter, Thunder Of Niagara, and Lauded, who was a short head past the 9/5 stateside favorite Admiral Nelson.  Completing the order of finish came Existent, Creative Force, Choritzo, Science, Talbot, Army Of India, and Igotatext.

Mehmo was a non-runner.

A huge upset in the Coventry Stakes as Nando Parrado wins at 150/1!

The biggest priced winner in Royal Ascot history! 😮#RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/m6NDEILrdC

— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 20, 2020

Nando Parrado’s win was a remarkable improvement over his debut, when he finished a well-beaten fifth in a 6-furlong event at Newmarket. Just as he was today, Kirby sat in the saddle aboard the juvenile Kodiac colt that day.

“Not a shock at all!” Cox said about the historic upset. “He is a lovely horse. He was drawn one at Newmarket, and on the day it turned out to be a little bit of a tough ask. When you looked at the form from Newmarket, there was a little bias to either rail that day. He was first in the stalls that day on a really windy day and stood there like a saint. He was a bit slowly away and had been so good at everything that he had done at home, and then had to run a little bit forwards – we were hoping he was going to come across a bit, but he used a bit of petrol to do that and then he didn’t come down the hill and it was game over. But you have only got to look at the horse – he has got a real stamp of class about him, and he has clearly shown that today.”

Nando Parrado returned $234.20 to win and $40.60 to place, Qaader brought back $3.40 to place, and Saeiqa paid $14.40 to place.