Nayarra, a two-year-old filly by Cape Cross, landed top honours on Sunday October 9, when taking the G1 Gran Criterium over a mile in Milan. Going into the race still a maiden after eight starts, she had run a series of creditable races in defeat in Stakes company including a close third in the G3 Oh So Sharp Stakes on her last start. She becomes her sires' ninth G1 winner with this half-a-length triumph.
Owned and bred by Prince A A Faisal, she is a daughter of the Danehill mare Massarra, a juvenile Listed scorer at Newmarket. Massarra herself is a half-sister to G1-winning sprinter and leading stallion Invincible Spirit and Stakes winners, Sadian and Acts Of Grace. She is also a daughter of French Oaks winner Rafha.
This was the second Stakes winning juvenile of the day for Cape Cross, after Kalimdor's victory in one of Turkey’s top two-year-old contests, the local-G1 Calidiran Stakes at Istanbul.
Now sire of 68 worldwide Stakes winners, Cape Cross is famous for siring outstanding Champions the world over. In Europe he has Sea The Stars and Ouija Board, while in New Zealand he sired the great racemare, Seachange, between them they were the winners of 20 G1 races. This season Cape Cross has sired ten Group horses and no stallion can beat his total of three Royal Ascot winners.
