THE decision to bring Casamento back to Sunnyhill Stud in Ireland and stand as a National Hunt sire received a timely endorsement at the weekend when House Island, a five-year-old from his sire’s initial crop, won the Listed Racing TV Standard Open NH Race at Newbury on just his third start. He was runner-up on both his previous outings. He is not the first major winner under National Hunt rules in this largely flat-bred family, but you have to skip back a couple of generations to find the next one.

House Island is the English translation of his dam’s name, Fuaigh Mor, and she was a two-year-old winner by Dubai Destination (Kingmambo). House Island is her second foal and second winner, the first being Lexington Times (Paco Boy) who was bought in utero for €26,000. He was then sold as a foal for €48,000, as a yearling for €60,000 and he went on to become a listed winner of more than £100,000.

That success, in addition to being by a leading sire, led to Fuaigh Mor’s fourth foal, Castlebay (Dark Angel), selling for €95,000 as a foal and 625,000gns as a yearling to Godolphin. Now a three-year-old, he sold at Tattersalls in February for just 3,000gns. Quite a devaluation!

Fuaigh Mor is one of nine winners from Marl (Lycius), and she too was a two-year-old winner. She bred the stakes winner Medley (Danehill Dancer) and is grandam of a trio of stakes winners, one of which stands out. Spillway (Rail Link) won in England before making his way down under where he captured the Group 1 Australian Cup at Flemington.

Marl is out of the winning mare Pamela Beach (Habitat) and she, like Fuaigh Mor, is the dam of listed winners under both codes. Rowaasi (Green Desert) won the Listed National Stakes at Sandown, while Davoski (Niniski) was useful on the flat but blossomed when faced with a jump.

He won 10 races under National Hunt rules, divided equally between hurdle and chase wins. His biggest success was in a listed chase at Ascot. A Group 1 winning son of Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway), Casamento has sired winners up to Group 2 level on the flat, while his first runners over jumps are displaying the type of quality that indicate he will become a big success in that code. His fee for 2019 is €3,000.