Caponata strides to an impressive victory on her debut under Pat Smullen© Photo Healy Racing
Newcomer Caponata (5/1) ran out an impressive winner of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden for her trainer Dermot Weld with Pat Smullen aboard.
Racing in the famous colours of Khalid Abdullah, the 3yo daughter of Selkirik quicken smartly to lead under two furlongs out taking over from the 9/10 favourite Wonderful who attempted to make all.
She went clear after hitting the front and stayed on well inside the final furlong to score easily by five and a half lengths.
Something Special ran well to take second for Jim Bolger and Rory Cleary at 33/1 while Romantic Stroll was a further four and a quarter lengths back in third at 5/1 for Tommy Stack and Wayne Lordan.
The disappointing favourite, Wonderful, for Aidan O’Brien and Seamie Heffernan finished back in fourth.
Winning trainer Dermot Weld said afterwards: "She did it nicely and she has a future.
"She won it very easy but the ground was testing and it may just have flattered her.
"A lot of them didn’t handle the ground. She is a lovely big mare and we are taking our time with her. I expect patience to payoff.
"She will go for the Oaks Trial at Naas next that would be the logically way to go. We won that race last year with Sapphire."
The dam of the winner, Daring Diva, is a full-sister to Emulous, who is also trained by Weld and won the Group 1 Matron Stakes at Leopardstown last season.
Donal Murphy & Gary Carson
