Saturday European Double for Caravaggio

It was an international double for Caravaggio on Saturday when In Ecstasy (3g Caravaggio x Longing, by Galileo) won on return at the Curragh less than an hour before Whitebeam (3f Caravaggio x Sleep Walk, by Oasis Dream) did the same at Haydock.

Not seen on the track since March, In Ecstasy showed why he’s such a force to be reckoned with when his midpack run in the one-mile turf race turned into a late-race challenge. He won by an easy 1 ¼ lengths to record his third one-mile victory.

Bred by Mountain View Stud and JC Bloodstock, In Ecstasy is trained by Joseph O’Brien for White Birch Farm and has three wins in five starts.

An hour later across the Irish sea, Juddmonte homebred Whitebeam cut back to seven furlongs after winning at a mile last out. The filly had a troubled start and had to take her place near the back of the field but made her move with just over a furlong left. She showed some greenness but had more than enough left to hold off Thunder Legend by a half-length to beat males as the only filly in the field.

Trained by Harry and Roger Charlton, Whitebeam has won three of her four starts with her only loss coming when she was third on debut in April. Whitebeam is out of a half-sister to the champion and Group I St. Leger winner Logician, multiple graded stakes winner Suffused, and stakes winner Collide.

This family also includes champion Cityscape and Group II winners Bated Breath and Equilateral.

Caravaggio is the sire of 39 winners in 2022 alone with that group also including four stakes winners and 10 stakes performers, led by the Grade I-winning Tenebrism.