Craig Bernick and Antony Beck's Group 3 winner Castle Star (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) will target the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, according to trainer Fozzy Stack. The colt broke his maiden in his third start, the Listed First Flier S. at The Curragh on May 3. He followed that effort with a two-length come-from-behind victory in the G3 Marble Hill S. there later that month. Second in the G2 Railway S. in June, Castle Star was fourth in the G1 Phoenix S. on Aug. 8. He improved to run Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) to just a half-length in the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket in his 2-year-old finale on Sept. 25.
“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 2000 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.”
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