Aswan Gives Caravaggio Goodwood Victory

Aswan (2c Caravaggio x Spring Garden, by Fastnet Rock) had been close to getting a win in his previous starts this year and broke through on one of the biggest stages with a victory at the Goodwood Festival by half a length.

Racing a few lengths off the leaders in a tightly packed field going seven furlongs on the turf, Aswan started getting closer to the leaders half way through the race. The colt was in a perfect position under James Doyle as they entered the final two furlongs and had control of the race less than a furlong later.

Aswan looked like he’d win going away and had pulled away from much of the field but his margin was cut to half a length in the end when a trio including Holy Roman Emperor’s Bastogne and Gleneagles' Mayfair Stroll closed late with those two finishing in third and fourth.

Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford for Shaikh Duaij Al Khalifa, the colt impressed Doyle, who was riding him for the second time.

“Aswan has done nothing wrong, he's steadily progressive and Simon and Ed Crisford are really starting to hit their straps now, which is great. He's learning all the time, but he had to be fairly brave late on and he was,” said Doyle.

A great-grandson of bluehen mare Blush With Pride, Aswan is out of a full sister to Fastnet Rock’s Group III-placed Asama Blue. Spring Garden’s half-siblings also include stakes placers and stakes producing dams Sapphire Pendant and Lacadena.

In addition to being Listed placed, Lacadena is the granddam of Grade I winner Paris Lights and Grade III winner First Captain and the dam of Grade III winner and multiple Grade I-placed America.

Spring Garden had a No Nay Never filly last year and another filly by that stallion this year.

Caravaggio has an impressive record with his first runners. His 12 winners, four stakes performers, two stakes winners, one graded stakes winner, and two graded stakes performers lead each of those categories among freshman stallions.