Caponata wasn't for catching by Shebella (green) or Aaraas (blue) at Naas© Photo Healy Racing
Caponata took the step-up from maiden to Listed company in her stride when getting the job done nicely in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Naas Oaks Trial.
First-time blinkered Remember Alexander set a scorching tempo and it wasn't surprising when she folded in the straight. The victorious daughter of Selkirk took over going well from a quarter of a mile out and Shebella soon emerged as a threat. However that one, with the aid of a first-time tongue-tie, could do no more inside the last and two and three parts of a length separated them at the line.
It was hardly surprising in the aftermath to hear successful handler Dermot Weld say of the Prince Khalid Abdulla-owned and Pat Smullen-ridden victor: "She'd been working very nicely and I was expecting her to win this more or less," given that she ended up the 3/1 favourite from a morning quote of as big as 5/1.
Weld continued: "I thought she put up a good performance and she's progressed nicely from her win at Gowran.
"I was very supportive of this race being made a Listed contest, I thought it was an ideal time for an Oaks trial. It was an excellent field and a good winner.
"She's entered in the Irish Oaks and I'll talk to Lord Grimthorpe (Prince Khalid's racing manager) at the weekend.
"Pat was of the opinion that a mile and a quarter might be as far as she wants to go at the moment.
"She's a big mare, 16.2 and she's a mare with a future, this year and next.
"She loves a nice ease in the ground – that's a big factor for her." (GC & EM)
