The tough and tenacious Namibian (Cape Cross) landed his second Festival Group race on Tuesday July 26 when battling superbly to win the G3 Gordon Stakes at Goodwood. Coming into the race on the back of a triumph in the G3 Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot, he dug in deep in the final furlong to beat the favourite Fiorente, who was receiving 3lb, by a neck with Godolphin's Dubawi colt Hunter's Light back in third.
The Gordon Stakes is a proven St Leger trial (Sixties Icon and Conduit have completed the double in the last five years) and the world's oldest Classic would be the logical step for Namibian.
Bred by Hascombe and Valiant Studs and sold for 60,000Gns as a yearling, he is out of the Stakes-placed mare, Disco Volante, herself a daughter of the Champion, Divine Danse.
The sire of 36 Group 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 he has sired the runaway G2-winner Crystal Capella, who is rated 127 by Timeform, making her the foremost middle-distance filly in Europe.
