PERFECT PICTURE
Tellingly well-supported into 13-8 favouritism despite the rain seemingly playing against him, Susan Magnier's Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) lived up to his high reputation by surging to an emphatic success on Tuesday to give Aidan O'Brien the outright record of eight wins in the G2 Coventry S. Trapped behind rivals who were adrift of the pace set by the far-side runners initially, the grey was launched out of that pack by Ryan Moore as Mehmas (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) struck for home way across the track with a quarter mile remaining. Getting to that rival in a matter of strides, the Listed Marble Hill S. scorer stretched away to a resounding 2 1/4-length verdict, with the previously unbeaten Psychedelic Funk (GB) (Choisir {Aus}) 2 1/2 lengths away to give the form a solid feel. “I was very impressed, because he had to win two races there,” his rider commented. “The other side was always ahead and I was stuck where I was. The horses around me weren't bringing me far enough, so he had to go by them earlier than I wanted to but I had to let him see Mehmas and he's won his race again then. I was worried about the ground, but he's very good.”
Tuesday, Royal Ascot, Britain
COVENTRY S.-G2, £150,000, ASC, 6-14, 2yo, 6fT, 1:16.36, sf.
1–@CARAVAGGIO, 127, c, 2, by Scat Daddy
1st Dam: Mekko Hokte (SW-US), by Holy Bull
2nd Dam: Aerosilver, by Relaunch
3rd Dam: Silver in Flight, by Silver Series
O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Windmill Manor Farms Inc & Petaluma Bloodstock (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £85,065. Lifetime Record: SW-Ire, 3-3-0-0, $170,852. *1/2 to My Jen (Fusaichi Pegasus), GSW-US, $203,000. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred-keen-grad”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″][bullet ad=”irt-shell”]
2–Mehmas (Ire), 127, c, 2, Acclamation (GB)–Lucina (GB), by Machiavellian. (62,000gns Ylg '15 TAOCT; 170,000gns 2yo '16 TATBRE). O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Richard Hannon. £32,250.
3–Psychedelic Funk (GB), 127, c, 2, Choisir (Aus)–Parabola (GB), by Galileo (Ire). (13,000gns Wlg '14 TATFOA; £30,000 Ylg '15 DNPRM). O-Sean Jones; B-Mrs J Imray (GB); T-Ger Lyons. £16,140.
Margins: 2 1/4, 2HF, HD. Odds: 1.60, 8.00, 4.50.
Also Ran: Medieval (Ire), Van Der Decken (GB), Thunder Snow (Ire), Monks Stand, Yalta (Ire), Silvertoni, Parys Mountain (Ire), Stoneyford Lane (Ire), Dolokhov (GB), Rusumaat (Ire), Lundy (GB), Grand Coalition (Ire), Mokarris, Nibras Bounty (Ire), Garth Rockett (GB). Scratched: Broken Stones (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Off the mark on debut with an undeniable touch of quality at the expense of Lundy (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) over this trip at Dundalk Apr. 18, Caravaggio had to overcome ground on the soft side when doubling up in The Curragh's Marble Hill where the smart Mister Trader (GB) (Hellvelyn {GB}) was his chief victim May 21. Most of Aidan O'Brien's winners of this went on to group 1 glory and there was a touch of the Fasliyev about this performance, but it is significant that the eventual milers Landseer (Ire) (Danehill), Henrythenavigator and Power (GB) did score en route and connections may now have to pursue the Guineas trail until proven wrong. Always travelling with a real presence in behind the leaders amongst the stand's-side group which was a few lengths down on those against the far rail led by Yalta (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), Caravaggio was in danger of doing a “Hawk Wing” as he ended up well adrift as Mehmas was committed by Frankie Dettori out of his line of vision. Remarkably, although that Hannon trainee was giving out serious wattage, it was the latest Ballydoyle sensation who had the race sewn up within a matter of yards and he maintained his burst all the way to the line to earn deserved plaudits. “We were worried that he was so quick that maybe we should have run in the Norfolk when the rain came,” O'Brien commented. “He is very rapid at home and got the six and got it well. Obviously, we have been discussing this horse all the way but you can never be sure they will get the mile when they are so quick. The way he got six in that ground suggests he will have a big chance of getting a mile. He has a great mind and is a clear-winded horse who relaxes very well. He is a lovely size and is very powerful, so he's got all things in his favour. I'm not sure where next, but obviously the natural progression would be the [G1] Phoenix [S. at The Curragh Aug. 7]. That's what we'll be thinking now, but we'll be keeping him at six furlongs for a while anyway. He's been exciting always.” Richard Hannon said of the runner-up Mehmas, “On better ground, he might have got closer. We will sit down and speak to Harry Herbert, but he could go for the [G2] Richmond [S. at Goodwood July 28] or the [G2] July S. [at Newmarket July 7]. Maybe the [G2] Prix Robert Papin [at Maisons-Laffitte July 24] could be for him, as Gutaifan went there last year.” Ger Lyons believed that Psychedelic Funk gave his best in the circumstances and said, “My horse comes into a different world when the ground goes soft. He was tracking the leader, but he just could not pick up on the ground. I was very negative coming into the paddock. Colin Keane said he didn't have the speed, but he stayed on. His class got him through.” Caravaggio's useful dam had previously produced the GII Gallant Bloom H. winner My Jen, but now she has one to surpass that. She is a granddaughter of the SW and GSP Silver in Flight, who in turn is a half to the dam of the four-times grade I-winning sire Bien Bien. Another of her half-siblings is Winter's Gone (Dynaformer), who is responsible for the GI Donn H. winner Spring At Last and the GI Las Virgenes S. heroine Sharp Lisa (Dixieland Band), who has thrown Coolmore'spattern-race performer Foundry (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and his smart full-brother Housesofparliament (Ire). Also from the family of the MGSW & GI Secretariat S. third Sharp Performance (Kris S.), Mekko Hokte has a 2016 foal full-sister to this winner.
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