Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) could be seen next in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville over six and a half furlongs on Aug. 6. The Aidan O'Brien-trained colt lost his unbeaten record when fourth in the G1 Darley July Cup won by the Clive Cox-trained, Adam Kirby-ridden Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) at Newmarket on Saturday. O'Brien's charge had finished in front of the Cox runner when winning the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and was sent off the 10-11 favourite to confirm the form on the July Course.
O'Brien said, “He's good. I thought he ran very well. He ran a good race and we should be praising the winner Harry Angel as well as Clive, Adam and Sheikh Mohammed. We ran a good race, but the winner was very good on the day. The lads will obviously decide what's next, but John [Magnier] was just saying that we might have a look at the Maurice de Gheest. He was just saying that to me this morning, but we'll see how he is after a week or 10 days. I think the Everest [in Australia on Oct. 14] is still on the table.”
“After France, the lads would have to make a decision what they want to do, whether they want to go to Australia,” he continued. “I imagine if he was going there he would have to have a little break. Either that or he'd just keep going on, to York or somewhere. We'll try to get to the next one first and see how we go.”
O'Brien also had news of his other July Festival week runners from Newmarket, headlined by 'TDN Rising Star' Roly Poly (War Front), who claimed her first Group 1 success in the Tattersalls Falmouth S. on Friday. She could also be set for a trip to Deauville, for the G1 Prix Rothschild on July 30.
O'Brien said, “Roly Poly is grand. She got a little bit galloped into behind, but she seems to be fine and hopefully it won't be a problem. We might look at the Rothschild in France for her, but we'll decide in a week or 10 days.”
Clemmie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was another big winner for Ballydoyle, with Churchill (Ire)'s full-sister coming out on top in the G2 Duchess of Cambridge S.
“Clemmie is in good form,” he continued. “There is probably no point coming back for the [G2] Debutante [on Aug. 20] now and if she didn't go there she could go on to the [G1] Moyglare [Stud S. on Sept. 10]. She knows enough now if she doesn't run in the Debutante. We were delighted with her.”
Fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Gustav Klimt (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was promoted to G1 2000 Guineas favouritism following his win in the G2 Superlative S.
O'Brien said, “Obviously we'll look at the [G1] National S. [on Sept. 10] with him. We would usually go to the [G2] Futurity [S. on Aug. 20], so we'll probably look at something like that with him. He mightn't have to do the Futurity and could go straight for the National S.”
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