Capri Shines in St. Leger, Possible For Arc

Capri worked his way to the lead late in the William Hill St. Leger Stakes (G1) at Doncaster Sept. 16 and held on gamely to win by a half-length over Crystal Ocean. The win gave jockey Ryan Moore his first victory in the final classic of the British flat racing season.

Stradivarius was only a short head behind Crystal Ocean in third for the race restricted to 3-year-old colts and fillies. The final time for the mile and 6 1/2 furlongs was 3:04.04 over good to soft ground.

The Anvil, one of four in the 11-horse field for trainer Aidan O'Brien, opened a big early advantage. As he was reeled in, the race appeared wide open until Moore got Capri into full gear well off the rail. Stradivarius, with James Doyle up, put in a bid inside the winner while, Jim Crowley had Crystal Ocean in full flight outside.

Capri, however, was in command in the final strides. He stamped his claim in the top ranks of 3-year-old stayers and opened the door to a potential run in the Oct. 1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) at Chantilly.

Capri, a grey colt by Galileo (IRE), out of the Anabaa mare Dialafara (FR), had not raced since he won the July 1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (G1) at the Curragh, where he defeated potential Arc contender Cracksman by a neck. 

"We thought Capri would actually improve for this race," O'Brien said. "The Arc is something we'll think about for him, but the (Coolmore partners) will make that decision.

"As he had a blip at York (where he missed the group 2 Betway Great Voltigeur Aug. 23), we were worried about coming here, but thought he would improve a bit for the run. We had it in our heads that, if all went well today and everything went well after, he could run in the Arc."

Capri is the first to score an Irish Derby-St. Leger double since Nijinsky in 1970. He provided O'Brien his fifth St. Leger score. Moore had been blanked in seven previous rides in the St. Leger.

Sir Michael Stoute, who trains Crystal Ocean, said the trip was just a bit too much for the lightly raced Sea The Stars colt.

"I thought he was going to win, but we won't run him beyond a mile and a half again," the trainer said. "It was always a danger that he was a mile-and-a-half horse, and that's his trip."

Stradivarius, another by Sea The Stars, came to the St. Leger after victories in the Queen's Vase Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot and the Qatar Goodwood Cup Stakes (G1) Aug. 1.