It was a case of business as usual at Royal Ascot on Tuesday as Aidan O'Brien collected a 12th renewal of the G2 Coventry Stakes with Great Barrier Reef (No Nay Never).Partnered by Wayne Lordan with Ryan Moore on the sire's Confucius, the 6-1 shot who had taken the Marble Hill last month navigated his path from stall three far away from the stands' side to eventually hit the front inside the last 50 yards. At the line, he had half a length to spare over the Hugo Palmer-trained Adaay Of Scarlett (Mehmas), with a neck back to Wathnan's Royal Heritage (Blue Point) in third. Confucius was sixth as the 2-1 favourite.“Confucius is the better worker at home, but this horse is obviously one of those who just minds himself,” the trainer said after greeting his 97th Royal winner and giving his usual Oscar acceptance speech thanking everybody else. “He will get seven and could get a mile as a three-year-old.”Lordan added of the TDN Rising Star, “I got a lovely lead and it was a good performance. He is very straightforward, he has pace and stays well. He was looking for company late on, but hit the line well so he feels like he can step up trip.”Aidan O'Brien is off the mark for #RoyalAscot 2026! Great Barrier Reef wins the Coventry Stakes! pic.twitter.com/8WBxs0ZvKJ— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 16, 2026The post A Dozen Coventrys For O’Brien As Great Barrier Reef Strikes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.