Caravaggio gets green light for a sprint campaign

Caravaggio won all four of his races as a two-year-old. Picture: Racingfotos.com

Aidan O’Brien is to target the unbeaten Caravaggio at this year’s top sprint races – starting with the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

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 a possible for the English and French versions of the 2,000 Guineas but O’Brien believes speed is his principal weapon and he will warm up for the Commonwealth Cup, which forms part of the QIPCO British Champions Series, in the Lacken Stakes at Naas on May 21.

O’Brien said: “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’ve 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.”

Caravaggio is quoted between 7-2 and 5-1 for the Commonwealth Cup. Paddy Power quote him at 8-1 for the Darley July Cup at Newmarket the following month.