Kassiano

It was only a five-runner conditions race that Kassiano won at Newmarket on Saturday, and the winning time was very slow, but he still beat the 103-rated Trade Commissioner really comfortably giving him 3lb. This was a nice starting point for the Godolphin horse in Britain.

The Soldier Hollow gelding settled nicely in third, considering the pace was fairly sedate and that this was his first run for nearly five months. He cruised up alongside the two in front of him two furlongs out and Neil Callan only had to shake the reins briefly for him to stride on before he eased effortlessly clear inside the final furlong and won impressively.

The German-bred gelding could be a slightly under-rated horse when he steps up in grade now. He had won four out of his first five starts before joining Godolphin prior to the Dubai Carnival this year, and he quickly made his mark in Dubai, winning handicaps off marks of 98, 102 and 106 before finishing second to Hunter’s Light in Round 3 of the Al Maktoum Challenge, a Group 1 contest. He finished only ninth in the Dubai World Cup after that, but that may have been a run too many for him, and connections obviously thought enough of him to allow him take his chance in the race.

A couple of his wins in Dubai were over 11 furlongs, which he saw out well, but he is not short of pace and he has significant potential in Britain now over a mile and a quarter or slightly further. He will take a lot of beating if he takes up his entry in the Group 3 Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor on Saturday, and he could be a very interesting horse for the remainder of the season.

We have seen with Royal Empire of late how Godolphin horses who progress in Dubai can continue that progress back in Britain, and Kassiano could be another example of this phenomenon. Having had a break since running in Dubai, he could prove to be very good indeed.

17th August 2013

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