Shamardal sires his 12th Group winner

Casamento lands the Beresford Stakes in style; first-season sire Shirocco records his first Stakes winner

Leading second-season sire Shamardal's season continue to go from strength to strength, and on 26 September two-year-old colt Casamento became his fourth Stakes winner in just eight days when justifying odds-on favouritism to take the G2 Beresford Stakes at the Curragh.

Settled in second position, Casamento took up the running a furlong from home and eased clear to win by four lengths.

Last seen finishing just a head behind Pathfork in the G1 National Stakes (beating G1 Phoenix Stakes winner Zoffany), this was the second career victory for the Mick Halford-trained colt, who broke his maiden at the first time of asking at the end of August.

In winning the Beresford Stakes, Casamento follows in the footsteps of racing greats such as Alamshar, Azamour and none other than Sea The Stars, who won the race in 2008.

Bred by D & J Cantillon and C & K Canning, Casamento is out of the Listed winner Wedding Gift, a half-sister to G1 producer Black Tokk and is from the family of multiple G1 winner in Australia, Heart Of Dreams.

Shamardal has now sired 12 individual Group winners worldwide, including multiple G1 winners Faint Perfume and Lope de Vega.