BRED in Ireland by Eamonn McEvoy, the gelded Casamento (Shamardal) five-year-old Amade made his first start in North America and in stakes company a winning one, capturing the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup Invitational over two miles on turf. Connections hope this improving sort will be a Melbourne Cup contender.

One of four winners from Sheba Five (Five Star Day) who was placed as a two-year-old, Amade is a half-brother to Nakuti (Mastercraftsman) who won the Group 3 Atlanta Stakes at Sandown and was placed in a Grade 2 race in Canada. Amade is trained by Allessandro Botti and he has now won eight of his 13 starts, only finishing out of the first three twice.

Amade was quite a bargain when he was bought last November at Arqana for a mere €34,000. This was his fourth time through the ring, realising €80,000 as a newly-turned yearling at Goffs, 62,000gns as a yearling at Tattersalls and €50,000 as an Arqana Breeze Up Sale horse. Eight days after his sale last year he won back some €12,000 with a victory on the polytrack at Deauville. Rested until March this year, he won at Chelmsford (£13,000 earned), was runner-up at Lingfield Park (£28,000) and now he has netted $220,000 for his owners OTI Racing.

Sheba Five has six offspring, the first four being winners, the fifth has been placed and the sixth is a yearling filly by Sea The Stars (Cape Cross) who sold as a foal in December to Blandford Bloodstock for 135,000gns. What a good buy Sheba Five was when Ringfort Stud signed for her at 26,000gns carrying Nakuti, her first foal.

Casamento is now based at Michael Hickey’s Sunnyhill Stud in Kilcullen, Co Kildare.