RACING POST TROPHY FALLS TO CAMELOT

Camelot wins the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster
(Photo : Mail Online)

RACING POST TROPHY (Group 1)
Doncaster, Turf, 1600m
22 October 2011

The 51st renewal of the Racing Post Trophy (Gr1) lost a fascinating contender when Godolphin’s Encke (Kingmambo) was found to be lame Friday morning, but by the time Camelot (GB) (Montjeu) had passed the line all the focus was firmly on Ballydoyle’s new leading man.

Despite creating a striking impression at 1-3 on debut over a mile at Leopardstown, this was a real test of his merit against proven rivals off a subsequent lengthy absence. While the common sense view was that he had something to prove at cramped odds, the significant early gamble suggested that he ranks at the top of the pecking order of a talented crop of 2-year-olds at Rosegreen.

Ridden with maximum faith as stable companion St Nicholas Abbey (Ire) (Montjeu) had been in this contest two years ago, the Joseph O’Brien-piloted bay allowed his barnmate Learn (Ire) (Galileo) five lengths head start and was only asked to move closer as Kevin Manning tackled the pacesetter with Zip Top. In a matter of strides, Camelot was upon that rival, as Fencing (Street Cry) tried to make a fist of it out wide, but the winner was barely out of a canter in an impressive show of dominance throughout the closing stages.

“I thought I was on the best horse and he never really came off the bridle,” O’Brien said. “He’s very smart. He was a little bit keen in the first furlong, but he hadn’t been out for a while and was fresh. He traveled and did it all very easily.”

Aidan O’Brien revealed afterwards that Camelot had been hitting the bullseye on the Ballydoyle starometer. “The data we were getting from him at home was showing up as something out of the ordinary,” O’Brien told PA Sport. “Although you are only reading that stuff, he still had to come here today and prove it. He’s a super-quick thinker with a lovely temperament, and he’s a joy to have anything to do with. He can do probably whatever you want. The boys will make the decision, but you saw the speed.”

Zip Top’s trainer Jim Bolger added, “The winner is obviously a very smart horse. Our horse has run a good race, and I think he’s entitled to improve. I think he’ll find improvement into next year. I’d imagine he’ll be going to Dubai and next year will be up to the people at Darley.

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News

THE RACING POST TROPHY 2010

Click above to watch Casamento winning the Racing Post Trophy (Gr1)
(Photo : Guardian - Footage : At The Races UK)

CASAMENTO
“A SUMMERHILL CONNECTION”

Britain’s last Group One race of the 2010 season took place at Doncaster on Saturday. There are two big trials for juveniles at the end of the racing year which provide clues for the following year’s Classics. The Dewhurst (seven furlongs) is generally accepted as the most reliable guide for the Guineas, and the Racing Post Trophy (one mile) served as a useful pointer for England’s most famous race, the Derby (now the Investec Derby).

A fortnight ago, we witnessed a command performance in the Dewhurst from Juddmonte’s Frankel, and this weekend we saw another quality effort (if not quite as blindingly brilliant) from Shamardal’s son, Casamento, who took his tally of victories to three from four starts, his only defeat coming narrowly in Ireland’s National Stakes (Gr1).

While Shamardal’s achievements have been overshadowed by his quite exceptional barn-mate, Dubawi this year, without a “Dubawi” on the scene, we would’ve been hailing Shamardal as the new prince in European stallion ranks. And what makes him all the more appealing is that his runners seem almost as effective in the southern hemisphere.

Followers of these columns will have read our various articles on the shifting of the balance of power in the stallion world, not only across the Atlantic, but in the on-going battle between Coolmore and Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley. Casamento, of course, carried the colours of Sheikh Mohammed this weekend, and was bred, among others, by Dermot and Meta Cantillon, ardent clients of Summerhill. The Cantillon connection with Sheikh Mohammed is an enduring one, as Meta provides a veterinary service to the Dubai Ruler’s Kildangan Stud in Kilkenny, while Meta’s brother, Joe Osborne is the boss at Kildangan, having succeeded his famous father, the late Dr. Michael Osborne, who vacated his post to champion the creation of the richest race meeting in the world, the Dubai World Cup.

Editor’s Note :

It is tempting to concentrate solely on the Dewhurst Stakes and Racing Post Trophy as Britain’s most prolific sources of classic winners. The last ten Dewhurst winners feature subsequent classic winners Rock of Gibraltar, Shamardal, Sir Percy and New Approach, whereas the Racing Post’s roll of honour features High Chaparral, Brian Boru, American Post, Motivator and Authorized.

ST NICHOLAS ABBEY ON CLASSICS ROAD

Click above to watch St Nicholas Abbey in the G1 Racing Post Trophy
(Please excuse the commentary…)
(Footage : At The Races)

ST NICHOLAS ABBEY
G1 RACING POST TROPHY 2009

Backing up a first pattern score in last month’s G2 Juddmonte Beresford Stakes at The Curragh, St Nicholas Abbey (Ire) (Montjeu) laid down a spectacular marker for next season’s Classics with a hugely impressive triumph in Saturday’s G1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster.

Ridden with patience from the outset, the 13-8 favorite settled Britain’s final Group 1 contest of the year in an instant. He quickened to the front approaching the final furlong and burst clear thereafter to easily defeat Elusive Pimpernel (Elusive Quality) by 3 3/4 lengths.

“I was concerned about the ground because he’s a very light moving horse,” admitted trainer Aidan O’Brien, who claimed his fifth renewal with the win. “When you see a horse that can relax, travel and quicken the way he does, it’s very exciting. He’s a natural, and all we have to do is mind him. He has that real speed a miler needs to have.”

Aidan O’Brien had trained four previous winners of this end-of-season championship, but bridged a seven year gap since the 2002 success of Brian Boru (GB) (Sadler’s Wells) with the scintillating performance of St Nicholas Abbey.

Stepping out with a four-length debut success going a mile at The Curragh August 16, St Nicholas Abbey confirmed initial promise with a cozy win in the G2 Juddmonte Beresford Stakes back over that course and distance in his only other go September 27.

Jockey Johnny Murtagh employed patience from flag-fall in this sterner test, and positioned his mount behind all 10 rivals. Cruising into contention passing the two pole, St Nicholas Abbey put the race to bed in one fell swoop, and left his rivals for dust thereafter to earn quotes as low as 5-2 for next term’s G1 2000 Guineas and G1 Investec Derby.

“He’s an exciting horse with great speed,” said Johnny Murtagh. “He has a great cruising gear and a great turn of foot. When I got him out running to the furlong pole, I asked him to quicken and it was all over.”

RECENT WINNERS OF THE G1 RACING POST TROPHY

YEAR	WINNER	SIRE	TRAINER
2008	Crowded House	Rainbow Quest	Meehan
2007	Ibn Khaldun	Dubai Destination	bin Suroor
2006	Authorized	Montjeu	Chapple-Hyam
2005	Palace Episode	Machiavellian	Ryan
2004	Motivator	Montjeu	Bell
2003	American Post	Bering	Head-Maarek
2002	Brian Boru	Sadler’s Wells	O’Brien
2001	High Chaparral	Sadler’s Wells	O’Brien
2000	Dilshaan	Darshaan	Stoute
1999	Aristotle	Sadler’s Wells	O’Brien
1998	Commander Collins	Sadler’s Wells	Chapple-Hyam

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News