Crystal Capella (left) landed her sixth win in succession when grinding out a tough win in the G3 Middleton Stakes at York. The Cape Cross filly just got the better of Dar Re Mi (Singspiel) in the tightest of finishes on the Knavesmire. Another daughter of Singspiel, Princess Taylor, was third.
Bred by the Rothschilds’ Southcourt Stud from the Mark Of Esteem mare Crystal Star, Crystal Capella started her winning streak last May when landing a Newcastle maiden. Since then it has been a case of onwards and upwards as the four-year-old has glided victorious through all subsequent engagements, including two Listed contests and the inaugural running of the G2 Pride Stakes at Newmarket. She has finished second on her only two other starts.
Dar Re Mi is also an extremely accomplished competitor, having won the G3 Prix Minerve last summer at Deauville and finished runner-up in the G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks and in the G1 Prix Vermeille. Bred by Watership Down Stud, Dar Re Mi is out of Darara (Top Ville), while the Marco Botti-trained Princess Taylor was bred by Blenheim Bloodstock and is a daughter of the French-bred Tapas En Bal (Mille Balles).
Cape Cross’s success at stud, with horses of the calibre of the seven-time Group One-winning mares Ouija Board and Seachange and 2000 Guineas hero Sea The Stars, has doubtless enhanced his father Green Desert's claims as a sire of sires but the veteran stallion still fires in plenty of winners himself as highlighted by a brace of Listed race successes on Thursday.
Three-year-old filly Only Green won the seven-furlong Prix Pont Neuf at Longchamp while four-year-old gelding Yamal added to the Darley-sired haul at York by winning the Hambleton Stakes over a mile. Only Green is a product of the Wertheimer family’s successful breeding operation and is out of Only Seule, by Lyphard. Yamal, who was yet another Stakes winner for Godolphin this week after Mastery became Sulamani's first Classic winner in the Derby Italiano, was bred by Gainsborough Stud Management from the Gone West mare Pioneer Bride.
