Keeneland Phoenix Stakes |
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| Group 1, Curragh 15:35 €250,000 added, 2yo only, 6f  |
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| Sunday 7th August 2016 | |
1 Caravaggio 1/8F
2 Courage Under Fire 33/1
3 Medicine Jack 4/1
5 ran Distances: 4l, 2¾l, 2¼l
TIME 1m 11.79s (slow by 0.79s)
Caravaggio rises to the occasion in Phoenix Stakes
Bringing a three-race unbeaten record into the first Group One of the season for two-year-olds, the son of Scat Daddy was the red-hot 1-8 favourite to make it four from four.
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The Coventry Stakes winner made his move at the two-furlong pole and Seamus Heffernan never had to get too serious to beat Courage Under Fire by an easy four lengths.
Sky Bet trimmed the winner to 5-2 favourite from 3-1 for the next season's Qipco 2000 Guineas.
With Ryan Moore on the sidelines, Heffernan was riding Caravaggio for the first time since his debut at Dundalk in April.
Heffernan said: "He had plenty left today, he's always shown a lot. He was fresh early on, so Aidan gave him a run at Dundalk just to take the freshness off him.
"We thought he was an Ascot horse and he's never disappointed. "I would say he has (all the attributes needed to go all the way), yes."
Trainer Aidan O'Brien said: "He's a very good horse and everything went 100 per cent. In his last piece of work he hit a top speed of 45 miles per hour - 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."
The Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (Group 1)
6f , Race Value: €250,000
5 ran
Going: Good to Firm, Good in places
| Pos | Dr | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | (3) | Caravaggio (USA) 1/8f | J A Heffernan 9-3 |
A P O'Brien | 2 | |
| 2nd | (2) | 4 | Courage Under Fire (USA) 33/1 | M C Hussey 9-3 |
A P O'Brien | 2 |
| 3rd | (4) | 2¾ | Medicine Jack 4/1 | C T Keane 9-3 |
G M Lyons | 2 |
| 4th | (1) | 2¼ | Grand Coalition (IRE) 25/1 | P J Smullen 9-3 |
J P Murtagh | 2 |
| 5th | (5) | 2 | Ambiguity (IRE) 50/1 | D O'Brien 9-3 |
Joseph P O'Brien | 2 |
