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Filly becomes 62nd stakes winner for Sea The Stars

Having been sent off the well-fancied favourite, Miss Yoda (3 f ex Monami by Sholokhov) did not let her supporters down as she landed the Oaks Trial (Listed, 1m3.5f) at Lingfield on Friday and in the process handed Sea The Stars (Cape Cross) with his 62nd stakes winner. 

The filly, who finished second in the Zetland Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2f) on her final start as a juvenile, having been unbeaten in her two previous starts, was slowly away from the stalls but stayed on well to reel in the long-time leader Golden Lips (Golden Horn) by a length and a quarter with another nose back to West End Girl (Golden Horn) in third. 

Winning jockey Robert Havlin said the filly could run in the Ribblesdale Stakes (Gr 2, 1m4f) at Royal Ascot on June 16, before her tilt in the Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f) next month. 

"Staying has won her the race and a mile and a half is definitely in her compass,” said Havlin. “She's a gutsy filly and there were a lot of positives to take out of it.

"As for the Oaks, she got a little bit unbalanced on the quick ground in the straight, so we have the option of the Ribblesdale halfway between today and the Oaks in which she could gain some more experience.

"The Ribblesdale will answer a few more questions as to whether she goes to Epsom."

Purchased by Blandford Bloodstock at the 2018 BBAG September Yearling Sales €280,000, the filly is one of two winners out of the Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed mare Monami (Sholokhov). 

Monami herself is out of Monbijou (Dashing Blade), making her a half-sister to Group 1 winner Meridiana (Lomitas), who in turn produced Listed-scoring duo Chamois (Smart Strike) and Infinite Wisdom (Smart Strike). 

Further back the filly shares a page with Group 2 scorer Meergorl (Alderflug), Group 3 winner Moonshiner (Alderflug) and Listed-winning trio Maitre Levy (Monsun), Mannico (Banyumanik) and Meerjungfrau (Manduro).

Sea The Stars stood at Gilltown Stud in Ireland for a fee of €150,000.