Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
CARAVAGGIO TO REMAIN UNDEFEATED
Colt is up to speed for sprint
THE unbeaten Caravaggio will be the star attraction on an excellent seven-race card in Naas tomorrow The 116-rated Scat Daddy colt is being launched on a sprinting career in the Group 3 EMS Copiers Lacken Stakes over six furlongs and, although sure to improve from the run, his first since August, he should outclass his eight rivals. Caravaggio was unbeaten in four juvenile starts, a Dundalk maiden followed by the Marble Hill at the Curragh and an impressive display in Royal Ascot’s Coventry Stakes, when he cut down Mehmas with the minimum of fuss. That display confirmed the impression Caravaggio was a top-drawer colt. And he duly made a successful transition to Group 1 when slamming stable-companion Courage Under Fire and Medicine Jack in the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh. Due to a setback, we didn’t see Caravaggio after that August afternoon. Not surprisingly, thoughts of trying the colt over a mile have been abandoned, with tomorrow’s contest being used as a steppingstone to Royal Ascot. PSYCHEDELIC FUNK, held by the Ballydoyle colt on juvenile form, stumbled leaving the stalls on his seasonal debut behind Khukri at Navan and might give Caravaggio most to do. Caravaggio’s stable-companion WHITECLIFFSOFDOVER sets the standard in the listed Owenstown Stud Stakes over seven-furlongs. The two listed two-yearold races look crackers. And I’m really looking forward to seeing Jessica Harrington’s ALPHA CENTAURI, impressive on her debut over this course and distance, in the Coolmore Stud Fillies Sprint Stakes. The towering Mastercraftsman filly made all to beat Ballydoyle rival ACTRESS, a winner at the Curragh on Sunday, on that occasion and is expected to confirm form with the runner-up and the third, SHAPES, tomorrow. Alpha Centauri clearly has a high cruising-speed and, helped by recent rain, sets the standard while Actress, successful over five furlongs last week, will relish this return to a longer trip. The Coolmore War Command Rochestown Stakes might go to Aidan O’brien’s DALI, a course and distance winner on his second start. But it won’t be easy, with five other previous winners, including Richard Fahey’s Nottingham scorer SIMMY’S COPSHOP, in the field. The Jim Bolger-trained CHRONICLES should be tough to beat in the finale in which he’ll have most to fear from unbeaten filly SWEET SOUND. Chronicles battled well to beat three subsequent winners in a Navan maiden last month and might have found the ground a bit too lively when beaten a length by Tommy Hallinan in Cork last time. Back on an easier surface, he makes plenty of appeal.