ascot day 4
O’Brien’s ‘fastest ever’ proves best against Harry Angel and Blue Ponit
Caravaggio andWinter bring home the punters’double
CAR’S GOT GEARS IN CUP
Caravaggio lived up to his billing as the fastest horse Aidan O’Brien has trained by winning a top-class renewal of the Commonwealth Cup.
The 5/6 favourite had to be at his best under Ryan Moore to beat 11/4 shot Harry Angel who set out a scorching pace and third home Blue Point (9/2).
O’Brien said:“I’m delighted – we were treating it as a second stage race as he had a lovely race at Naas when he won last time.
“He was racing against three-year-olds again today and after that, we thought he would be stepping up against older horses.
“He was just ready for his next step today. The lads had it in their mind to come here and then maybe somewhere like the July Cup and then somewhere else after that.
“The lads have a plan in their mind that he might go to Australia for the Everest so we have to be very conscious now if we want him to last for the autumn.
“I was very nervous today as he was just ready to come through today, so I’m delighted that it all went well.
“Ryan was super confident on him and put him to sleep in the race. He said he would have a look at halfway where everybody was and that is what he did.
“He had plenty to do at halfway behind two good horses and he only raced for two and a half-furlongs.
“He was very relaxed in himself before the race – he was very natural and there was no edge to him. He is a natural free sweater anyway, but I was surprised by how cool he was – he is a very calm horse.
“He is very quick,I would be happier at two furlongs than six furlongs with this fella! He is the fastest horse we have ever had.
“He’s an absolutely brilliant horse. We felt that, because it was his second run back, we were afraid to do too much because we didn’t want to lose that brilliance that he has.
“Ryan gave him a brilliant ride and his change of pace is unbelievable. He is just an unbelievably quick horse.”
Caravaggio is 6/4 for the July Cup at Newmarket on July 15.
WINTER FREEZES OUT RIVALS
Winter confirmed her superiority in the three-year-old fillies’ mile division with a decisive victory in the Coronation Stakes.
The three-year-old daughter of Galileo, the 4/9 favourite, was always travelling sweetly under Moore and when asked to deliver her challenge in the home straight, she found plenty for pressure to quicken away from the field in the closing stages to score by two and a quarter-lengths.
Stable companions Roly Poly (12/1), ridden by Seamie Heffernan and Hydrangea (16/1), partnered by Padraig Beggy, finished second and third, with a neck separating the pair.
O’Brien paid tribute to the filly’s quality: “Winter is getting relaxed. She was a little bit lazy early on in the race, but she gal- loped on strongly at the end.
“She is doing well and is a big powerful horse now and we are delighted with her.
“She is a filly that is thriving from race to race.She travelled well - Ryan had her in a lovely position – and she comes home very well, which is a massive thing. She gets the trip really well and is thriving.
“She is very classy. She is a great traveller and, when you ask her, she picks up and gallops out strong. Physically, she is thriving.David always thought the world of her last year but she is thriving from race to race.”
Winter was completing a tremendous Group 1 treble having already landed the English and Irish 1000 Guineas this year, with O’Brien continuing: “All these Group 1 races are hard to win and I don’t ever think about it,so we just go from one race to another.
“She is obviously a very good filly to make it happen. She was very good at Newmarket and the Curragh and did it well again here today.”
As for future plans,O’Brien suggested a tilt at the G1 Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket on July 14, for which she is 5/4 favourite with Paddy Power, could be next on the agenda.
He said: “We might head to the Falmouth in three weeks’ time, but we will
see how she is as she has had four quick races.”
PERMIAN CROWNED KING
The Mark Johnston-trained Permian (6/1) showed the guts and determination traditionally associated with the Middleham handler’s string to land the King Edward VII Stakes.
Ridden by William Buick, the threeyear-old son of Teofilo kept on tenaciously in the closing stages after making most of the running to land the spoils by half-alength from the fast finishing Khalidi (10/1), trained by John Gosden.
Sir Michael Stoute’s Crystal Ocean, the well supported 9/4 favourite, travelled well into the race but faded late on to finish a further length and a quarter behind in third.
Johnston,registering 40th winner at the Royal Meeting, was delighted with the colt’s performance just 20 days on from his 10th in the Derby, which followed victory in the G2 Dante Stakes atYork.
He said:“I’m enormously pleased with him.The Dante is a great race and going to the Derby with a Dante winner, you obviously go there with high hopes.We were fairly sure it wasn’t his running in the Derby and we took a gamble coming here but it paid off.
“Some people said he didn’t stay in the Derby, so there were doubts coming into this race about the trip, but he showed a good turn of foot two furlongs from home and kept on well despite a diminishing margin at the line.
“William said he would stay all day. We’ve taken a slight step back in grade by coming to this race after the Derby, but his next run now has to be in Group 1 company - he needs that tag on his neck.”
STRADIVARIUS STRIKES A CHORD
The John Gosden-trained Stradivarius set up a tilt at the St Leger at Doncaster in September with a gutsy victory in the Queen’s Vase.
Ridden by Andrea Atzeni, the threeyear-old son of Sea The Stars came with a withering run in the home straight and after hitting the front inside the final furlong, responded well to Atzeni’s urgings to score by a neck from Ralph Beckett’s Count Octave (8/1) in second.
Gosden said: “It did get quite tight at the bend on the first circuit and it got a bit rough.He has run great,he got a beautiful ride and managed to get from stall nine to the rail before getting through a gap at the end.
“I’ve always said, if you run round Chester it is like having three races so you learn a lot and he is still learning and still green.”
Gosden immediately suggested that the St Leger would be the target for the colt,who is an 8/1 chance for the Classic on Town Moor with Paddy Power.
He added: “He enjoyed the distance and all being well,we will point him to the St Leger.”
LEAGUE DIFFERENT CLASS
Different League lived up to her name in the Albany Stakes when making all to win by a neck.
“I was confident of a very good run, to win I didn’t know,” said trainer Matthieu Palussiere, trainer of the 20/1 chance. “I left the race plans up to the jockey, we hoped to be in the first four or five.
“I was a little worried as she jumped out,but she has a great temperament and is very professional. After two or three furlongs I was confident – the jockey knows her well.”
“He is very quick, I would be happier at two furlongs than six furlongs with this fella! ”
RARE’S GOT RHYTHM
Charlie Appleby’s 20/1 shot Rare Rhythm provided Godolphin with a sixth victory of the week in the Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap.
The five-year-old son of Dubawi was eighth in this race last year, but after suffering a small tissue injury,has been off the track for 371 days.
He returned to form in style under William Buick, registering a decisive two and a quarter-length victory.
Appleby said: “He has been off a long time,but we knew we had got him right.
“I thought the ground was key for this horse and that he would like decent going. It is a big team effort.
“These are the days we are all here for, we haven’t thought of any races for him beyond this stage.”