The Entertainer Gives Caravaggio Fifth Winner
The Entertainer (2c by Caravaggio x Cape Joy, by Cape Cross) lived up to his name on debut with a late run at Navan on Saturday to give his freshman sire a fifth winner.
Racing over 5 ½ furlongs on the good going, The Entertainer broke well and sat about fifth just behind the leaders. Seamie Heffernan started searching for a hole for his mount as they reached the final furlong with the struggle getting more desperate the closer they got to the line.
That soon changed as one of the leaders started to fade and left clear room for The Entertainer, who needed no other encouragement to take off after the front runner. In only a matter of strides, The Entertainer was past the only horse in front of him and had his ears pricked. His speed took him to a 1 ½ length victory with the third place runner five lengths behind him.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien for the Coolmore partners and Westerberg, Heffernan noted after the race that The Entertainer may be another Royal Ascot contender for Caravaggio.
“It was tight at the business end but when he got the gap his class kicked in, with his speed,” Heffernan told Irishracing.com. “Hopefully he'll progress and be on the plane to Ascot. He's got plenty of pace and hopefully he'll stay. Caravaggio is a top-class stallion, I'm liking his progeny.”
Sold for €100,000 as a foal at the Goffs Ireland November Foal Sale to Peter and Ross Doyle, The Entertainer was then a 110,000gns purchase by Avenue Bloodstock for M V Magnier during Book 2 of last year’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
The Entertainer is one of two winners from three to race out of the winning Cape Cross mare Cape Joy. That mare is a half-sister to stakes winner Hymn Of Love, with that duo two of eight winners for Perils of Joy. Perils Of Joy is a half-sister to Group III winner Sweetened Offer and the granddam of Irish champion Invincible Ash.
A sire with multiple runners headed to Royal Ascot next month, Caravaggio currently sits second among all Northern Hemisphere freshmen with five winners.