Caravaggio and Seamus Heffernan are clear© Photo Healy Racing
Caravaggio maintained his four-race unbeaten record in the featured Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh today and in the process earned rave reviews from his trainer Aidan O’Brien, who described the effortless winner as “the fastest we have ever had at Ballydoyle”.
The son of Scat Daddy was having his first run since landing the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and started the 1/8 favourite to beat four rivals. In truth the race was nothing more than a morning’s work for the flashy looking colt who swept past stablemate and pace-maker Courage Under Fire over a furlong out before beating that rival by an easy four lengths.
O’Brien was recording his 15th win in the top level race while winning jockey Seamie Heffernan, who was filling in for injured Ryan Moore, had previously won on O’Brien’s Pedro The Great in 2012. Today the pair were completing a treble, having earlier won with Hydrangea and Utah
Caravaggio’s 1/8 starting price, the shortest since the race was established in 1902, gave every indication of what was expected today but O’Brien’s post-race comments were still notable, as the Group 1 marvel revealed “he's a very good horse and everything went one hundred per cent. In his last piece of work he hit a top speed of 45 miles per hour, and no horse in Ballydoyle has ever been able to do that.
"He's very pacey and has a great mind. He's so relaxed he could get further but I'd say we'll have a look at the Morny.
“He's the fastest we have ever had, and I'd not be in a rush to go over seven furlongs. He could always go for the Middle Park after the Morny."
Bookmakers reacted by making Caravaggio an 8/13 chance (Betfair) and 4/7 (Paddy Power) for the six furlongs Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket in September while Paddy Power left him unchanged at 4/1 for the 2017 2000 Guineas as Boylesports cut him to 5/2 (from 3/1) for that mile race.
The winner was also cut for Royal Ascot’s Commonwealth Cup to 6/1, from 10/1 with Paddy Power, and to 5/1, from 12/1, with Betfair.
By Tom Weekes, quotes from Alan Magee
