Caravaggio moved to the head of ante-post lists for next year's 2000 Guineas after a scintillating display in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Aidan O'Brien's charge was the 13/8 favourite to add to his previous victories at Dundalk and the Curragh and did so in spectacular fashion to leave the usually reserved Ryan Moore hailing him as "at this stage the best I've sat on."

Caravaggio was always travelling ominously well in the group racing towards the stands rail, but with the horses racing on the other side of the track seemingly having the advantage, Moore decided to make his move early.

The response from his mount was fairly spectacular, with the son of Scat Daddy displaying terrific acceleration in the rain-softened ground to win going away by two and a quarter lengths from Mehmas.

RaceBets make the latest apparent Ballydoyle superstar the 9/1 favourite for the 2000 Guineas next May, with William Hill offering just 7/1.

O'Brien, securing a record eighth victory in this prestigious juvenile contest, said: "With the rain coming I thought we had him in the wrong race and should have run him in the Norfolk.

"He's so quick that I didn't know if he would stay six furlongs in that ground, but it didn't look like he was stopping.

"I'm not sure where next, but obviously the natural progression would be the Heinz (Phoenix Stakes) at the Curragh. That's what we'll be thinking now, but we'll be keeping him at six furlongs for a while anyway.

"Looking at him today, you'd have to think he could get a mile next year. He's a very relaxed horse and very powerful. He's been exciting always."

Moore was full of praise for the two-year-old, saying: "He was very impressive. I was a bit worried about the ground, but he's won in spite of it. When he gets on better ground, he will be a better horse.

"At this stage of his career, he's very good. At this stage he'd be the best I've sat on."

Richard Hannon said of runner-up Mehmas: "On better ground, he might have got closer.

"We will sit down and speak to Harry Herbert (owner's racing manager) but he could go for the Richmond (Goodwood) or the July Stakes (Newmarket).

"Maybe the Prix Robert Papin (Maisons-Laffitte) could be for him as Gutaifan went there last year."

The Ger Lyons-trained Psychedelic Funk just held on in a three-way photo for third.

"My horse comes into a different world when the ground goes soft. He was tracking the leader but he just could not pick up on the ground," said Lyons.

"I was very negative coming into the paddock. Colin Keane said he didn't have the speed but he stayed on. His class got him through."