Kiwi filly Capella has arrived safely in Australia and is ready to compete in the Group 1 $500,000 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Kiwi jockey Opie Bosson, above winning the 2015 Australian Derby on Mongolian Khan, will ride Capella in the Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill,. Photo by Steve Hart.
Capella landed safely in Sydney today and Mattamatta trainer Dancia Guy has reported that the filly has settled in well straight into her new surroundings.
“She travelled probably better than I do,” Guy told Racing HQ.
“She travelled really well and got off the bus there with no sweat on her and a very happy horse straight into her feed.”
“Very very happy with her.”
Guy is hoping the Sydney weather clears for the weekend so Capella can show Australian racegoers her electric turn of foot on a dry track and performs well before heading towards the Group 1 $1m James Boags Premium Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick on April 9, the second day off ‘The Championships’.
“She will probably settle midfield, she needs room and she has got a very good turn of foot,” Guy said.
“Our only concern is if the rain keeps up. This weekend if the track is rain affected it might take the gloss off of her a little.”
“She is pretty devastating on a firm track, she has a really good sprint.”
Three starts back Capella was a winner at Group 2 level when she took out the NZ$100,000 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on December 26 and then ran third to Mime in the Group 2 NZ$100,000 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa on February 13
Guy then put the Rip Van Winkle filly up against the colts and geldings in the Group 1 NZ$750,000 TV3 BMW NZ Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on March 5 and was very pleased with her fourth placing, half a length behind the winner Rangipo.
“She ran super in the New Zealand Derby and she really ran out the 2400m really really well. She was probably the fastest finishing on the day and only got beaten half a length,” Guy said.
“We were absolutely thrilled with her run. She is proven at the trip and hopefully she can do it all again here.”
“She has come good at the right time. Couldn’t be happier with her.”
Top New Zealand jockey Opie Bosson has been booked to ride Capella in both the Vinery Stud Stakes and the Australian Oaks.
In early betting at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Vinery Stud Stakes, Capella is marked as a $9 chance alongside of fellow Kiwi filly Valley Girl, the John O’Shea trained Asinara and Lindsay Park’s Stay With Me.
Early market order for the Vinery Stud Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.80 Jameka, $4 Risque, $5 Happy Hannah, $9 Asinara, Capella, Stay With Me, Valley Girl, $13 Honesta, $18 Ambience, Believe, Single Gaze, $21 Sacred Eye, Sailing By, $26 Chabaud, Lonely Orphan, $31 Heartlings, $35 Self Esteem, $41 Aurora’s Star, $81 Peggy’s Cove, $101 Zasorceress.
