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Casamento set for Doncaster

CURRAGH ROUND-UP: A €10,000 supplementary fee paid off in style when Casamento won last month’s Beresford Stakes at the Curragh…

BRIAN O'CONNOR Racing Correspondent
Wed Oct 06 2010 - 01:00

CURRAGH ROUND-UP:A €10,000 supplementary fee paid off in style when Casamento won last month's Beresford Stakes at the Curragh and trainer Michael Halford is hoping double that money could yield a Group One success for the colt in Doncaster's Racing Post Trophy.

The Kildare trainer confirmed that the Sheikh Mohammed- owned colt is being targeted at the mile Group One prize in just over a fortnight’s time for which he will also have to be supplemented.

“It will cost £17,500 (€20,131) and everything has to go right between now and then but the plan is to go to Doncaster.

“He has come out of his last race really well,” said Halford who enjoyed the most valuable success of his career in the Beresford.

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Pat Smullen rode Casamento that day, the third different jockey the horse has had in his three career starts to date, but no firm riding arrangements have been made yet about Doncaster.

“Through no fault of his own we have used different jockeys and it is too early to say who’ll ride him next.

“A lot of things have to go right before we get to that stage,” Halford added yesterday.

The trainer intends to run his stalwart sprinter Snaefell in Sunday’s Testimonial Stakes at the Curragh but the big attraction at headquarters is likely to be the Aidan O’Brien-trained St Nicholas Abbey who as expected features among 22 entries for the mile and a half Finale Stakes.

Europe’s champion juvenile of 2009, who hasn’t been seen in action since finishing only sixth in the 2,000 Guineas, is joined among the entries by his Ballydoyle stable companions Rain Forest and the Irish Oaks third Lady Lupus.

Last year’s Irish Oaks runner-up Roses For The Lady is another possible runner from John Oxx’s yard.

Limerick’s feature race on Sunday will be the Ladbrokes Munster National which has among its 22 entries the 2007 winner Mossbank who could make his first start in two seasons in the €90,000 event.

His trainer, Michael Hourigan, also has the option of running the Kerry National runner-up Dancing Tornado while the sole British possible is the Philip Hobbs trained Fairock Lad.