Caponata takes feature for Weld/Smullen

Caponata got her season off to a successful start when taking the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Victor McCalmont Memorial Stakes at Gowran Park.

A Listed winner at Naas last year and also just touched off in the Group 2 Blandford Stakes, the Selkirk filly was completing a double on the day for Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen.

The extended nine-furlong event turned into a duel in the straight between the Khalid Abdulla-owned 5/4 favourite and the front-running We’ll Go Walking.

The latter made a winning debut here earlier this month over a mile and a half, and not surprisingly Kevin Manning decided to make plenty of use of her.

Pat Smullen threw down a strong challenge on Caponata approaching the final furlong, and she held sway in the closing stages to score by a half-length.

The pair stretched right away from their five rivals, with a yawning eight length gap back to Aloof in third at the line.

Weld said, “They are two nice fillies. I’d say the second filly is smart as well. The Group 3 on Guineas weekend (Abu Dhabi Stakes) at the Curragh would be the logical follow on. Hopefully both those fillies will have a good year.

“As the year progresses you would hope we can build to Group 1 status with her. I think she has the potential to be a Group 1 filly.”

Jim Bolger was happy with the performance of the runner-up and said, “We’ll try and win a stakes race with her first, and she could line up in the Irish Oaks. She may even stay further than a mile and a half.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson