racing_news/

1 Crystal Capella 4/1C
2 Myplacelater 9/1
3 She's Our Mark 12/1

Crystal Capella took the Pride Stakes for the second time to complete a 21.5/1 double for Sir Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore.

The five-year-old mare won the Group Two mile-and-a-half event in 2008 and was just touched off in the race 12 months ago by French raider Ashalanda.

The winner had been off the track since then but stormed clear under the champion jockey despite her layoff of 364 days.

Stoute said: “She is a very good filly but it is such a pity that she has thrown slow-to-recover splints through her career.

“She did it after she beat Dar Re Mi at York last year and then did it again when she was ready to start off at Sandown early this year.

“She popped a big splint that time and it has messed up her programme but she has shown how good she is today.

“She is entered in the Hong Kong Vase and she might just get a pick at that now.”

Sir Michael Stoute added: “That was very satisfying and it was great teamwork from the veterinarians. Her problem has been a splint - a big ugly splint - that remained active and totally prostrated her.

“I thought at one stage that she would have to go back to the farm so I am glad that we persevered and that was a high-class performance.

“She has a great mind and she had a problem with a splint on the other fore-leg after she beat Dar Re Mi at York last May. She had a troubled preparation for the Opera and got beat a short-head here.

“She is in the Hong Kong Vase and we would be thinking very strongly about going there with her. I heard some mutterings and the jockey was making a case for her running next year but let’s see how she comes out of this and whether she goes to Hong Kong.

“We were a little bit greedy with Eleanore Duce. She had a very hard race in the Blandford Stakes and I thought that she would get a long break after this - it’s only down the road and she appeared alright. You are always a little bit worried that the run in Ireland might have emptied her for the year and today showed that it did.

“I thought that the third would come and beat Cape Dollar but she beat that off and then I thought that the second would beat her and she beat that off. She is a game little filly.

“She is very honest at home as well and she is a real competitor. We will see if she is a Guineas filly or not but it is a long way away. I haven’t worked her with Havant but Havant may just have more of a kick than her.”

Position	Horse Trainer	Jockey Weight	Starting Price Beaten Distance
1	Crystal Capella Sir Michael Stoute	R L Moore 9st 3lbs	4 - 1 Winner
2	Myplacelater D R C Elsworth	P Hanagan 8st 10lbs	9 - 1 4 1/2 lengths
3	She's Our Mark P J Flynn	D M Grant 9st 3lbs	12 - 1 1 1/2 length
4	Barshiba D R C Elsworth	J P Spencer 9st 5lbs	16 - 1 1 length
5	Saphira's Fire W R Muir	N Callan 9st 3lbs	66 - 1 1 1/2 length
6	You'll Be Mine A P O'Brien	J P Murtagh 8st 10lbs	33 - 1 1/2 length
7	Meeznah D R Lanigan	T E Durcan 8st 10lbs	13 - 2 1 3/4 length
8	High Heeled J H M Gosden	William Buick 9st 3lbs	4 - 1 4 1/2 lengths
9	Rumoush M P Tregoning	R Hills 8st 10lbs	4 - 1 distance
10	Eleanora Duse Sir Michael Stoute	L Dettori 8st 12lbs	7 - 1 1 1/4 length
11	Tinaar G A Butler	T P Queally 9st 3lbs	50 - 1 16 lengths
12	Brushing M H Tompkins	K Fallon 9st 3lbs	33 - 1 3 1/2 lengths
NonRunner	Les Fazzani K A Ryan	Non Runner 9st 3lbs	-

EMOTION HIGH AS BARSHIBA COMES TO END OF HER CAREER

Barshiba
© Grossick Racing Photography

Jeannie Brown, assistant to David Elsworth, had tears in her eyes after Barshiba’s brave fourth placing in the Group 2 Pride Stakes. The race marked a career end for the one-eyed mare, who has won four Listed races and two Group 2s.

“I should not be like this,” said Brown, through her tears, “but you get so attached to them. She has been wonderful horse to have.”

Owner Jeff Smith also confirmed that the mare’s career has come to an end. “What a way to end - we are delighted with that performance and perhaps if the rain had not come we would have finished closer.

“We have started to think about a stallion for her, and we are obviously considering all the top names - and Dubawi is a possibility.”

Despite reminiscing for the past, Brown was also looking ahead to the future for the David Elsworth-trained Myplacelater, who finished second.

“She is a really exciting prospect and David has certainly pulled out another one as she was only a £600 purchase! She is long and lanky and will be better in time. She got a bit edgy at the start, which might mean that she has had enough for the year so she will be put away now.”

JJ O’Donoghue and James Lucey, of the B. & M. Syndicate, owners of the third-placed She’s Our Mark, have some important decisions to make over the next few weeks.

“She is in the sales, but is not certain to go. We have plenty of options for her and we will go back and discuss with the other partners.

“She has won eight races and does not owe us anything. We would have preferred a little more rain today, but it really has been a dream to be here at Newmarket on a day such as this with a runner of our own.”