All roads lead to Middle Park for High Value Developmental Race graduate Coppull

Coppull became the latest two-year-old to progress from a High Value Developmental Race to the winners’ enclosure of a flagship pattern contest after landing the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at last month’s Qatar Goodwood Festival.

The son of Bated Breath made a winning debut for Clive Cox in the £30,000 Juddmonte British EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes at Leicester in April, which is one of 88 High Value Developmental Races worth over £3.3m in prize money taking place during the 2025 Flat season.

The races provide increased prize money for young horses starting out their careers, with the aim of supporting the domestic breeding industry by encouraging the purchase and racing of young talent in Britain. They are generously supported by sponsors British Stallions Studs (EBF), Darley, Juddmonte and Tattersalls.

Following his debut victory at Leicester, Coppull progressed to finish third in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot before landing the £200,000 Markel Richmond Stakes at Goodwood by an impressive two lengths.

Cox now has the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket firmly in his sights for Coppull, who will either run in the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville or Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York beforehand.

“It was very special,” Cox said when asked about Coppull’s Goodwood win. “It was our third Richmond success and it’s a race that I’m only too pleased to have a horse of that calibre to be able to target it.

Now that’s what love for a horse looks like

Winning trainer Clive Cox defies the downpour to welcome back Coppull after taking the Richmond Stakes.#AxeTheRacingTax pic.twitter.com/ba6yXsynzY

— British Horseracing Authority (@BHAHorseracing) July 31, 2025

“I felt that Goodwood would definitely suit his style of racing, given the way he ran at Ascot and over five furlongs at Leicester prior.

“He shows natural pace and speed, has a very high cruising speed, and also he’s a horse that is very well balanced, which he displayed at Leicester as well. He has continued strengthening and professionally he has become a very polished performer. He’s taken huge strides forward between each race.

“I’m thrilled with the way he has come back from his run at Goodwood and he now has Middle Park and Gimcrack entries. He’ll have a 3lb penalty in the Gimcrack, so I think the Morny would be most likely for his next start at this stage.”

Coppull is one of several High Value Developmental Race graduates to land major juvenile contests this season, with other success stories including Royal Ascot scorers Venetian Sun (Albany Stakes) and Havana Hurricane (Windsor Castle Stakes), who won on debut at Carlisle and Goodwood respectively. The former has since gone on to win the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket.

On his decision to introduce Coppull in a High Value Developmental contest at Leicester, Cox said: “With any baby starting out we like to target the track and the ground that fits and reflects where we are at that time of year.

“Leicester is somewhere that we have a pretty good track record at. It’s a wonderful place to introduce horses and with a prize that stood out in the calendar, it was an easy target to follow.

“We are very grateful to the sponsors for putting on this kind of money – it is hugely appreciated.”

More information on the 2025 High Value Developmental Race programme can be found here, as well as the full schedule of 2025 races here.