Princess Of Wales' sportingbet.com Stakes – Crystal Capella owned her competition, Michael Stout wins the event for the fourth time
Sir Michael Stoute trained the six-year-old brown mare, Crystal Capella, who again won a Group 2 race, this time around the Group 2 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket for 3-year-old and older fillies and mares on 7th July.
The massive distance of 1 mile 4 furlong of the race attracted some stiff competition with the likes of Redwood and Buthelezi, but the 4 to 1 sent Crystal Capella thrashed her competition and defeated the 2 to 1 favourite Redwood with a ginormous eight lengths.
Buthelezi finished third behind Redwood as he was smashed back to a six lengths defeat.
The six-year-old daughter of Cape Cross, out of Crystal Star, Crystal Capella was making her fourth run in two seasons and Sir Michael Stoute’s patience paid off as the mare proved to her connections that she is ready for any type of competition anywhere.
The win was doubly good as she outclassed her opponents on a rain softened ground.
Crystal Capella won two races out of her last four starts, prior to the Newmarket triumph.
The Sir Evelyn de Rothschild mare enjoyed her last victory at the Newmarket course as well when she bagged the Group 2 Pride Stakes for fillies and mares on 16 October, 2010.
Her last start of the 2010 season was an utter disappointment as she failed to deliver on a 13-horse field and finished 10th.
It was a tough international outing for the six-year-old mare when she competed in the Group 1 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase.
The race drew serious competition and was run on turf. The Saeed Bin Suroor trained Mastery was the victor on 12 December, 2010, at Sha Tin.
Crystal Capella made a perfect start in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase when she broke in to the lead real early but dropped down to third after the 3-furlong mark.
She couldn’t keep speed with her competitors which resulted a weakened final 2 furlongs, pushing her back to 10th position.
Her first start of the 2011 season came at Haydock, where Crystal Capella was entered to race the Pinnacle Stakes.
Crystal Capella ran a dull race on that day as she was held up at the rear for most part of the race, trying to chase the leaders but did not make any impression what so ever and fell behind in the final furlong, finishing in fourth position.
It is a refreshing win for both Crystal Capella and her connections at the Newmarket and the way she thrashed her competition was a cool sight for sore eyes.
Handing her trainer, Michael Stoute, his fourth win in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes in seven years was a perfect gift from the mare to her trainer and jockey, Ryan Moore.
The six-year-old mare might not have a long racing career ahead of her but she sure can pack a powerful punch at such a ripe old age, surely a keeper for Sir Michael Stoute.
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