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Why the festival could provide Doyen and Casamento with their big break

Michael Hickey's operation set to be in the news at the jump racing jamboree

Doyen is shown off to visitors to Sunnyhill Stud on the recent ITM Stallion Trail
Doyen is shown off to visitors to Sunnyhill Stud on the recent ITM Stallion TrailCredit: Patrick McCann

Michael Hickey's Sunnyhill Stud in County Kildare has stood some fine jumps sires in its 40 years of existence. There were the likes of Good Thyne, source of Brave Inca and Bannow Bay; Montelimar, father of Like-A-Butterfly, Monty's Pass and Hedgehunter; and Lord Americo, whose best progeny were Lord Noelie and Dempsey.

The operation's signature stallion was Old Vic, who left numerous top-class jumpers including Comply Or Die, Don't Push It, Our Vic and, most notably, the Sunnyhill Stud-bred Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Kicking King.

A member of the stud's present roster can earn his right to be mentioned in the same breath as his predecessors at the Cheltenham Festival next week.

Doyen – who took the place of Old Vic after he died in 2011 and has a very similar profile, also being an outstanding middle-distance performer by Sadler's Wells – stood at Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket and at Gestut Auenquelle in Germany before moving to a jumps role.

His early Flat-bred runners came close to providing him with a festival winner, with Dandridge and Kumbeshwar finishing second at the meeting.

But with his oldest National Hunt offspring now aged six and many of them large-framed individuals who look as though they will get better with age, he is starting to come to prominence with some excellent results this term and several Cheltenham entrants with bright prospects.

Chief among those is Gordon Elliott's Naas Grade 1 winner Battleoverdoyen, who is among the favourites for the Ballymore and Albert Bartlett.

Meanwhile The Russian Doyen, who is two out of three over fences for Colin Tizzard this term, would hold a live outside chance if he took up one of his entries in the Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase or Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate.

Doyen has had his fair share of four-year-old and bumper winners, but he looks more likely to reward patient owners and could be heard of even more at future festivals as his early jumps progeny mature and tackle fences.

Sunnyhill Stud's gleaming new recruit Casamento could also have a breakthrough festival ahead of him.

The Racing Post Trophy winner started off as a Flat stallion for Darley but some of his early stock (first crop are five-year-olds) have excelled over jumps, such as the Grade 2-placed hurdler City Dreamer.

Casamento's runners next week could include three-time winner Alright Sunshine and Listed-placed Cascova in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper and the thrice-placed The Knot Is Tied in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.


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Published on 6 March 2019inNews

Last updated 17:51, 6 March 2019

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