Harpocrates© Photo Healy Racing
Harpocrates and Royal County Down give Aidan O’Brien a strong hand in the Coolmore Caravaggio Stakes at Tipperary on Sunday.
The Ballydoyle maestro has saddled the last three winners of this seven-and-a-half-furlong Listed prize, with subsequent Irish Derby and St Leger hero Capri followed (2016) on the roll of honour by Ballet Shoes (2017) and Christmas (2018).
Following some fine efforts in defeat — including fifth place behind Pinatubo in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot — Harpocrates finally opened his account with narrow success at Naas on Monday and is set to make a swift return to action.
It is a similar story for his stablemate Royal County Down, who followed up a maiden win at Down Royal with victory in a handicap at the Galway Festival and he is sent back into battle just eight days later.
Ger Lyons saddles the once-raced Leopardstown maiden winner Justifier, while Joseph O’Brien’s Vitalogy bids to prove his surprise debut victory at Naas was no fluke.
John Murphy’s Cap D’Antibes, the Richard O’Brien-trained Lougher and Andrew Slattery’s Rebel Tale are the other hopefuls.
The latter won a Navan maiden on his second start before finishing third behind a couple of useful fillies in One Last Look and One Voice in an auction race at Leopardstown in June.
Slattery said: “He’s in good form and I worked him on a bit of soft ground earlier in the week and he worked very well, so I don’t think the ground will be any bother to him.
“I think he’s improved since his last run. He has a bit to find on ratings, but the ground might help with that.
“I’m hopeful he’ll run a big race.”
