Caponata ‘a big mare with a big future’

Successful with Princess Highway at Royal Ascot last week, Dermot Weld struck with another high-class three-year-old filly when Caponata landed the listed Naas Oaks Trial in Naas last night.

Hugely impressive on her debut in a Gowran Park early in May, the Selkirk filly stepped into stakes company in style, travelling strongly throughout, edging ahead with more than two furlongs to race and staying to beat Shebella convincingly by two-and-three-quarter lengths.

This was the performance of an exciting and progressive filly, open to plenty of further improvement and Weld enthused: “She progressed nicely from her win in Gowran and I’ve had this race in mind for her for a long time. I was very supportive of the move to make this a black-type event as this is an ideal time for an Oaks trial.”