Casamento

Casamento entered the 2000 Guineas picture with a cracking run to go down by just a head to Pathfork in Group 1 National Stakes at The Curragh on Saturday. Declan McDonagh sent the Michael Halford-trained colt to the front after a couple of furlongs and he travelled well to the two-furlong pole when Pathfork challenged. Jessica Harrington’s classy colt was still travelling well two furlongs out, while McDonagh looked to be getting anxious on Casamento, but he moved over to the stands rail and ran on really strongly to get back at Pathfork, who may have gone two lengths up at one stage, and make him really fight, with the pair of them finishing five lengths clear of Zoffany back in third.

Casamento is a big scopey individual, and he looks certain to improve considerably as he fills his frame. He ran a cracker here, Pathfork is probably the best juvenile colt in Europe at this stage and, although he had the rail to help him and Pathfork to aim at, he did finish five lengths clear of the Phoenix Stakes winner Zoffany, albeit on ground that probably wasn’t ideal for Aidan O’Brien’s horse. The form of his impressive maiden win on his only other start at Tipperary was boosted by third horse Pirateer, who came out and won a valuable Nursery in Listowel on Monday, and Casamento can go on from this now. This was just his second ever run and he is almost certain to improve for the experience. He may be supplemented to the Group 2 Beresford Stakes at The Curragh next Sunday, and he has to have a big chance of winning that before going on to even better things.

11th September 2010

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