He is the hottest property on the European 2-year-old scene at present and it will be a surprise if Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) does not bring up a remarkable 15th success in The Curragh's G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. for Aidan O'Brien on Sunday. So impressive when putting up the benchmark performance of the season so far among the juveniles when dealing with Mehmas (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) with a degree of comfort in the G2 Coventry S. over this trip at Royal Ascot June 14, the grey has all in his favour as he returns to the track over which he had previously captured the Listed Marble Hill S. over five furlongs May 21. With the Coventry form subsequently boosted by Psychedelic Funk (GB) (Choisir {Aus}), Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) and Yalta (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), he will be almost unbackable here. “I suppose he's been very impressive in his three runs really, we've been really happy with what he's done,” his trainer commented. “He's always been very impressive at home, this will be his first run on nice ground and he is a very fast horse. He's always shown an awful lot of pace in his work and it can't be a disadvantage to us, anyway.”
On balance, there is only one rival capable of putting it up to Caravaggio and that is Sean Jones's Medicine Jack (GB) (Equiano {Fr}), who beat the favourite's stablemate Peace Envoy (Fr) (Power {GB}) in the G2 Railway S. over this course and distance June 25. Interestingly, the runner-up went on to beat the Coventry third Psychedelic Funk in the G3 Anglesey S. here last month so there is a case to be made for the Ger Lyons representative. It does appear to be a match, with the other three runners rated well below the two main protagonists in a renewal that disappointingly lacks any depth.
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