Ten declared for Racing Post Trophy
Statistics may not be an infallible guide and the figures argue the case both ways for Aidan O’Brien in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster on Saturday, for which 10 runners have been declared.
Five previous winners in the Group One race makes the horses O’Brien selects worthy of interest, but that could probably have been said of many of the 29 other juvenile runners he has saddled in Britain so far this season – all of whom have been beaten.
It may not have been entirely bad news – Roderic O’Conner put up a notable performance when he finished second to Frankel in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket last Saturday –but it hardly inspires confidence either. O'Brien saddles Master Of Hounds – the chosen ride of stable jockey Johnny Murtgah- and Seville for this race and Murtagh’s choice seems to have been a simple enough one.
Master Of Hounds finished second to Roderic O’Connor in a maiden at the Curragh having previously finished a short-head second to Dunboyne Express at Leopardstown. Dunboyne Express, trained by Kevin Prendergast, went on to win the Group Three Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh in July and it is he along with Casamento who is dominating the market.
Casamento (pictured right) is a rare runner in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed – most of whose horses are seen in the all-blue livery of Godolphin. The obvious question may be how much longer Casamento remains with his current trainer Michael Halford or whether he follows the path that so many others have taken to Godolphin’s winter training quarters in Dubai?
It is not something that Halford, 48, has devoted much public discussion time to, preferring to take the arrival of two horses from one of the world’s leading owners as a further confirmation of his growing presence in Flat racing; and Casamento’s rise has been even swifter.
In just one month he had won his maiden at Tipperary, got within a head of Pathfork in the Group One National Stakes and returned to the same track to win the Group Two Beresford Stakes four weeks ago. Casamento had to be supplemented for the Beresford and the sheikh paid out another £17,500 for a late entry to this race as Halford admitted that it has been a case of feeling his way along with the colt.
“It happened for him quickly enough really,” Halford said. “He won his maiden comfortably and then we stepped him up to the National Stakes and he came on from that run. We didn’t have any engagements for him, as he was coming to hand we said we’d make a plan for him and we decided to supplement him for the Beresford. So it all happened quite quickly for him, but he was well able for it and he’s been in tremendous form since.
“He’s always shown us plenty and we just had to wait for him because he’s quite a big horse. He’s got a wonderful temperament, he’s just got a high cruising speed and he enjoys his job.”
Good horses make a trainer’s job easier and a first Group One winner “would be a huge plus for the team here” to Halford – not that he is taking anything for granted. “I have a lot of respect for them – they’re all good horses,” he said. “Dunboyne Express looked very impressive early in the season. He had a little bit of a hold-up but there’s a great word for him around and I have the highest respect for Kevin Prendergast. The Ballydoyle team are always very strong and have a great record in the race.
“I’d just be happy with our own horse and I wouldn’t swap him for anything at the moment. He’s had a great preparation. Everything has gone like clockwork for him.”
Casamento will be Halford’s first British runner of the year. His previous nine have been beaten but he has a 50% strike-rate in Irish Group races – one from two and both with Casamento.
Just pick whichever statistic you prefer.
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