CARRYONTOASCOT
AIDAN O’BRIEN confirmed Caravaggio is likely to sidestep the French 2000 Guineas on Sunday and target the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot instead.
The Scat Daddy colt won each of his four starts as a juvenile, including impressive displays in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh but has yet to make his three-year-old debut.
He was left in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains at the latest entry stage yesterday but O’Brien confirmed at Chester he is very unlikely to make the journey to Deauville and could instead warm up for his Ascot assignment in the Lacken Stakes at Naas.
He said: “It’s looking like he won’t go to France and he will be kept to sprinting. We’ll run Peace Envoy and Orderofthegarter but Caravaggio is likely to start off in the Lacken Stakes at Naas.
“He’s rapid, he really is, and we’ve never even tried to see how far he’ll stay. He’s got so much speed it wouldn’t be fair. He’s the only horse I have ever seen that actually stumbles when he quickens and he does it so quick.
“If all goes well at Naas then we’d look at Ascot but I see no point in taking on his elders when we don’t have to, so it would be the Commonwealth Cup.”
As well as Peace Envoy and Orderofthegarter, Whitecliffsofdover was also left in the French 2000 Guineas by O’Brien.
The Michael Dods-trained Kings Gift has been supplemented for the race at a cost of almost €40,000. The Casamento colt made a promising start to his three-year-old career when fourth in last month’s Greenham Stakes at Newbury.
That form has been well advertised since with the winner, Barney Roy, finishing runner-up in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket while the second, Dream Castle, was fifth in the Rowley Mile Classic.
A total of 15 colts are still in contention ahead of yesterday’s final declaration stage, with Charlie Appleby’s Salsabeel, the William Haggas-trained Rivet and South Seas from Andrew Balding’s stable the other potential crossChannel raiders.
A final of field of 18 fillies has been declared for tomorrow’s French 1000 Guineas – the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches.
O’Brien saddles Roly Poly, Rain Goddess and Smoulder while William Haggas sends Cristal Fizz and Sea Of Grace. Simon Crisford’s Asidious Alexander is the only other British-trained participant.