Stack outlines Commonwealth Cup target for Castle Star

Simon Milham
March 27, 2022 1:57 pm

Royal Ascot feature the main aim for Group Three winner.

Castle Star will have the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot as his “prime objective”, trainer Fozzy Stack has confirmed.

The speed-laden son of Starspangledbanner won the Group Three Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh last May and finished runner-up to Go Bears Go in the Group Two Railway Stakes thereafter.

He was narrowly beaten by Perfect Power in the Middle Park Stakes on his final outing of the year – his first run outside Ireland – and currently holds an Irish 2,000 Guineas entry.

Impressive!
Castle Star (Starspangledbanner) zooms to Group 3 honours in the @GAINEquine Marble Hill for @chrishayes24 and @Stack_Racing @curraghrace pic.twitter.com/X7buqrpuyV
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 22, 2021

However, the Tipperary handler sees the Craig Bernick and Antony Beck-owned Castle Star as a sprinter, who will be targeted at the six-furlong Group One sprint at the Royal meeting.

“He is in good order,” said Stack. “I’m happy with how he has wintered and the prime objective will be the Commonwealth Cup.

“We will probably give him a run or two beforehand. There are a couple of options at Naas and Navan, or there’s a race at Ascot (Commonwealth Cup Trial) beforehand. It will be one or two of those.

“I don’t think the plan will be to run in the Irish 2,000 Guineas. I can’t see that. I think he is a sprinter.

“He ran a cracker at Newmarket on his last run, but I don’t see him getting a mile at that level.

“The race at Navan at the end of April is a possible starting point and there is a race at Ascot at the end of April. It will probably be one or two of those and if he ran at Ascot, he will probably just do Ascot and then Royal Ascot.”