Pressure Play

The assembled forces at Coolmore and Ballydoyle are accustomed to playing with high stakes and the tension will be cranked up to the maximum as Saturday's G1 Darley July Cup comes around for Caravaggio (Scat Daddy). Few horses from the Co. Tipperary outfit have generated such expectations in recent times and this Newmarket feature will answer the last important question of his brief career. How will he handle the older brigade? We now know he sits–albeit only narrowly on the formbook–above his fellow 3-year-olds based on his accounting for Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) in Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup June 23 as he did at two after taking the G1 Phoenix S. and G2 Coventry S. Ballydoyle's Stravinsky and Mozart (Ire) outclassed their elders in 1999 and 2001 and joined a select cluster of high-class members of that generation to do so alongside the star names Thatch, Marwell (Ire) and Oasis Dream (GB). Aidan O'Brien stated after the Commonwealth Cup that Caravaggio was almost using that as a prep for this and he is staying typically tight lipped ahead of the big day. “He seems to be fine. He hasn't done a lot since Ascot, but seems to be in good form,” he merely said.

If, after his scintillating display in this 12 months ago, it was suggested that Limato (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) would trade around 5-1 for a repeat in 2017 there would have been a stampede. Four of his subsequent five starts have resulted in defeat but there have been valid excuses for three of those including a disastrous excursion to Dubai when 10th in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan Mar. 25. Offering evidence that he remains a potent force when slamming his G1 Prix de la Foret rivals over seven at Chantilly in October, Paul Jacobs's gelding is reunited with Harry Bentley after Ryan Moore partnered him to third in the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot June 24. “I'm very happy with him and he seems in very good form,” Henry Candy said. “The ground is drying out and that should suit him. The opposition is incredible and without doubt it is a stronger race than last year. I was very happy with the run at Ascot. Things didn't quite go his way, but that should have brought him on a bit more. I thought his attitude was right and he seems to be a happy horse again. He seems to be back to himself. I am delighted Harry Bentley is back on him. He is quite a straightforward ride, but it is nice to have the guy who won on him last year back. He has not sat on him since being given the ride back, but he knows him best having ridden him six times before.”

On top in the Diamond Jubilee was Fred Archer Racing's The Tin Man (GB) (Equiano {Fr}), who needs to prove here that he is not just an Ascot specialist having also taken the G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint S. there in October. He is met again not only by Limato but also by the May 17 G2 Duke of York S. winner and Diamond Jubilee runner-up Tasleet (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) but trainer James Fanshawe has belief in his stable star. “It was a smart performance from Caravaggio, but so was The Tin Man's, they both quickened up very well,” he said. “I'm looking forward to running him and I will concentrate on him and getting him there in the best possible form. It's by accident he's never run at Newmarket before, it's just the way things have turned out. He handles the Limekilns gallop here in Newmarket and that has a dip in it, so hopefully the track won't be a problem.”

Beaten 3/4 of a length by Caravaggio in the Commonwealth Cup, Godolphin's Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) has another go at the Ballydoyle colt and trainer Clive Cox is hoping he can build on that experience. Possibly too free early on at Royal Ascot, he had looked more than capable to landing a prize of this nature when powering to a 4 1/2-length success in the G2 Sandy Lane S. at Haydock May 27. “I still think very highly of our fellow and hopefully there is still more to come,” his trainer commented. “I am delighted with him and he is in great nick. The ground should be ideal and we are very much looking forward to it. It was a tough race at Ascot, but I think we came out of that with the impression it was better than any race he had run in before. He is fresh and well and I have been relaxed about turning him out here since his run in the Commonwealth Cup. I think with there only being 10 runners, I am relaxed about the draw. Hopefully it will be a fair and proper race that we can all show our best performances in. Adam Kirby knows the horse well and I will leave tactics to him as to what feels right on the day. He knows the horse well enough and I trust him implicitly. I am very pleased with his preparation and well-being since Ascot. I have got total respect for all the opposition.”