After four consecutive seconds, Silver Surfer finally broke through in a well-contested maiden over 6-furlongs at Fairyhouse on Friday to become the seventh first crop winner for Caravaggio (IRE).
Ridden by Gavin Ryan, the Donnacha O'Brien-trained colt disputed the lead for the majority of the trip but looked under pressure a furlong out. He rallied to defeat the Acclaim colt Shoebox King by a half-length with the same distance back to the dark Angel colt Schiele in third.
Silver Surfer was most recently beaten one and three-quarter lengths at Naas by another son of Caravaggio (IRE), the Royal Ascot bound Andreas Vesalius.
“He had a few good runs behind nice horses,” Donnacha O'Brien told Irishracing.com
“Blinkers might have helped him and definitely the step up to six. It was nice for him to get his head in front.”
Pinhooked by Glenvale Stud for 78,000gns at the 2019 Tattersalls December Foal Sale, Silver Surfer was bought by MV Magnier for 100,000gns at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
He is the first winner from three foals to race, out of the French Listed winner Riskit Fora Biskit (Kodiac) a half-sister to three stakes-placed winners including the Group II Gimcrack Stakes runner-up Crown Prosecutor (Exceed And Excel).
A dual Group 1 winning son of Scat Daddy, Caravaggio shuttled to Australia for just one season in 2018. His oldest southern hemisphere progeny are yearlings and have sold up to $220,000.
