Dual Classic hero Capri makes winning return at Naas
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
Capri made a triumphant start to his four-year-old campaign in the Toals.com Bookmakers Alleged Stakes at Naas.
Ryan Moore was keen to lead on Aidan O'Brien's Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby and Ladbrokes St Leger winner, but was there to be shot at in the straight, with his four rivals hot on his heels.
The 7-4 favourite responded to every question put to him by Moore, though, and with his stamina coming to the fore in the testing conditions, he held on by a head as Cannonball lunged late.
O'Brien said: "We're delighted and it was nice to get him started.
"We'll have a look at going to the Mooresbridge next and he'll come on lovely. Then we might have a look at either the Tattersalls (Gold Cup, Curragh) or the Coronation (Cup, Epsom). Maybe he can do the two.
"He's a lovely relaxed horse, lazy and a brave horse. Ryan was delighted with him.
"We'll let him come slowly, rather than forcing him. We'll feel our way. That's the first time he's won over 10 furlongs and we'll be thinking a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half with him.
"There should be tons of improvement. I'd say he got tired, but he was entitled to and it's nice for him to be doing that rather than racing up there with his mouth open, as we've another eight months to go."
Stablemate Cliffs Of Moher finished last of the five in the hands of Seamie Heffernan, and O'Brien added: "He was a bit fresh and a bit fresh before it. He's going to take a bit of racing to get him to come down and relax again."
Yucatan was fourth under Donnacha O'Brien, with the Ballydoyle trainer saying: "Donnacha's horse was grand, he's been off a long time. It was soft ground, and we knew it wasn't ideal, but it's nice to get racing miles into him."
Psychedelic Funk could have a crack at the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury after giving weight and a beating to his rivals in the Gladness Stakes.
Making his reappearance, Ger Lyons' classy colt tracked the front-running Downforce in the Group Three until taking the lead off him approaching the last of the seven furlongs.
Despite the layoff, Psychedelic Funk (5-1) lacked nothing in the way of fitness and ran right the way to the line to cross it with two and a quarter lengths in hand of Downforce.
The success completed a double for jockey Colin Keane, who also struck on Noel Meade's newcomer Dadoozdart in the opening maiden.
Lyons said: "That was lovely. He's heavy and has grown into some beast of a horse.
"He loves the ground, loves Naas and I'd love the Lockinge to to be run in Naas if someone could sort that for us!
"I think he deserves to go over there if conditions are right. Knowing our luck it'll dry up between now and then and it'll go against us, but anything bar fast ground.
"He holds the entry there and that's the next obvious target.
"I hate putting blinkers on them on their first run back, but he'll literally do nothing without them.
"That's probably as good a performance as he's put up in his career and he just seems to be getting better and stronger.
"Of the horses we've seen up to now, I think he has every right to go for a Lockinge. We just need a bit of luck that the conditions stay in our favour."
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