RACING: MICHAEL HALFORD waved goodbye to the Godolphin-bound Casamento after Saturday's Racing Post Trophy and Dermot Weld will have to come to terms with doing the same after Dubai Prince confirmed himself a prime classic prospect for 2011 with a hugely-impressive Killavullan Stakes victory at Leopardstown yesterday.
The Sheikh Mohammed-owned colt made it two wins from two starts in the Group Three contest and afterwards Weld made no attempt to hide his regard for the swaggering son of Shamardal.
“Every top class horse has got to have the pace to win at seven furlongs but this horse’s real potential is over longer distances. He is all class and I’ve little doubt he will be a Derby horse next year,” he enthused.
Ladbrokes took that hint more clearly than most and installed Dubai Prince as short as 8 to 1 for next year’s Epsom Derby. But if he does show up for flat racing’s blue-riband event it will be in the blue of Godolphin rather than the famous old maroon and white silks that both Dubai Prince and Casamento carried so spectacularly over a 72 hour period.
Weld’s negotiating skills are legendary in world racing. The Curragh trainer once managed to change Australian government quarantine policy in order to allow him run Vintage Crop in the Melbourne Cup. But even he hasn’t been able to alter Sheikh Mohammed’s habit of handing the cream of his stock over to Dubai-based Godolphin.
“He is joining Godolphin and I’m sure he will do very well for them,” Weld admitted. “He has been a joy to train and it has been a joy to have him. He is just a very good horse.”
Weld also won the Killavullan seven years ago with the subsequent Group One winner Grey Swallow and left no one in doubt about Dubai Prince’s potential to reach similar heights.
However, Weld could yet have his own Group One opportunity with Dubai Prince as he hasn’t ruled out a tilt at the 10 furlong Criterium de Saint-Cloud in three weeks time.
Weld and jockey Pat Smullen completed a black-type double when their admirable stalwart, Famous Name, secured a sixth Leopardstown victory in the Listed Trigo Stakes.
A lacklustre effort in Canada a month previously was forgotten as Famous Name swept seven lengths clear of Devoted To You to indicate the five-year-old remains a potent force.
“He loves being a racehorse and races with tremendous enthusiasm. I’d love to keep him in training next year but that will have to be discussed with Lord Grimthorpe (Juddmonte manager.)
“There is a possibility he could run in the Prix Perth in Paris next Sunday and he has had a great season already. He’s certainly very good around Leopardstown,” Weld said.
The trainer had three seconds on the card including the hot favourite Eva’s Time who came up a neck short of Stylish One in the juvenile fillies maiden. The winner could return to Leopardstown on Sunday for a Listed contest.
Ben Curtis opened up a two-winner lead on Gary Carroll in the apprentice title race after Super Say fought back in the closing stages of the Derrinstown Apprentice Final to win by a head. Curtis, however, picked up a one-day ban for his use of the whip.
Johnny Murtagh cut the gap to Smullen in the senior jockeys title to eight when driving Leah Claire to a narrow victory in the mile and a half handicap.
Over at Galway Berties Dream finished fourth on his fencing debut in the WB Gavin and Co EBF Beginners Chase. The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle hero jumped really well on his first start for 220 days, but was outmuscled by Jessies Dream along the punishing home straight.
In what looked an informative renewal of the two-mile-six-furlong contest, Corskeagh Royale stayed on for second. Venalmar came home third as the 7 to 4 favourite.
