FRANKIE DETTORI will be in the Casamento hot seat in Saturday’s Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster as Irish trainer Michael Halford pursues a first Group One victory.
Sheikh Mohammed yesterday paid out over €20,000 to supplement Casamento into Britain’s last top-flight prize of 2010 and his number one rider will be the fourth different jockey the colt has had on his back in his career to date. Pat Smullen was on board in last month’s Beresford Stakes while Declan McDonogh rode Casamento into second behind Pathfork in the National Stakes. Gary Carroll won on the son of Shamardal on his debut.
Casamento worked satisfactorily yesterday morning, after which Kildare-based Halford confirmed he was among an entry of 11 hopefuls after the forfeit stage later in the day. “He’s quite fit so we just wanted to see if he was well. We checked him out, checked his blood and had him scoped. He’s fine,” Halford said. “Frankie rides and it is terrific to have him. I’ve spoken to Doncaster about the ground. They say it is good to soft so that should be fine.”
Dettori won the race four years ago on the subsequent Derby winner Authorized and bookmakers have made Casamento favourite to add to that. Paddy Power have installed Halford’s colt at 2 to 1.
A total of seven Irish-trained horses have won the Racing Post under its various guises since it became a Group One in 1971 and Aidan O’Brien has five of them under his belt already including St Nicholas Abbey last year.
Ireland’s champion trainer has three entries left in this weekend’s race with the Royal Lodge third Treasure Beach joining Master Of Hounds and the highly-promising Seville.
O’Brien’s two-year-old team got a boost with Roderic O’Connor’s second to Frankel in Saturday’s Dewhurst at Newmarket and Irish horses are dominating the betting ahead of this weekend’s big race with Dunboyne Express a 7 to 2 second favourite with Powers.
It is 33 years since Kevin Prendergast scooped a Group One prize in Britain when Nebbiolo landed the 2,000 Guineas but he is aiming the unbeaten Anglesey winner, Dunboyne Express, at Saturday’s race.
Dunboyne Express finished ahead of Roderic O’Connor on his debut and hasn’t been seen since the summer due to an infection in a heel but the veteran trainer said: “The form book says our lad is one of the better ones in Ireland and I thought both Irish horses in the Dewhurst ran very well.”
Ed Dunlop’s unbeaten colt Native Khan missed out on the Dewhurst but is an intended starter in the Racing Post.
