Friday 24 August 2018
Winner of the Irish Oaks in July, SEA OF CLASS produced another spectacular display at York to secure a second Group 1 victory in the Yorkshire Oaks. In a high-class edition of York’s fillies’ showpiece, the daughter of Gilltown Stud sire SEA THE STARS was always galloping easily and was waited with for as long as possible by jockey James Doyle. When asked, SEA OF CLASS changed gear immediately and sailed past her rivals to score unextended by two and a quarter lengths.
SEA OF CLASS has been a late-maturing filly and did not make her racecourse debut until April. Since then, she has progressed impressively with every outing and now counts two Listed successes as well as her two most recent victories at the highest level.
Trainer William Haggas was delighted with SEA OF CLASS’s performance at York, “You always hope they’re going to do something like that, but she really impressed me.” The handler must now decide, with owner Mrs Tsui of Sunderland Holdings, whether to supplement the filly into the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. SEA OF CLASS is currently favourite for the world’s highest rated race, and she would therefore aim to follow in the footsteps of her sire SEA THE STARS and his outstanding dam Urban Sea who were successful in 2009 and 1993 respectively.
SEA OF CLASS was bred by the Razza del Velino and she is out of Hernando mare Holy Moon who has produced eight winners including Italian Classic scorers Cherry Collect, Final Score and Charity Line.
The Aga Khan silks were carried into third place in the Gr.1 Yorkshire Oaks by Eziyra who is already the winner of four Group 3 titles and also took third in last year’s Irish Oaks. The daughter of Teofilo and a half-sister to Group 1 winners Enzeli, Estimate, Ebadiyla and Edabiya is now likely to be aimed towards the Fillies and Mares Champion Stakes at Ascot.
STRADIVARIUS capped an outstanding Ebor meeting for his sire SEA THE STARS when winning the Gr.2 Lonsdale Cup. Bjorn Nielsen’s four-year-old was registering his four consecutive success after having won the Gr.2 Yorkshire Cup, Gr.1 Gold Cup and Gr.1 Goodwood Cup. In doing so, STRADIVARIUS earns the newly created Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers’ Million. His trainer John Gosden said “He's a fantastic horse, we didn't get quite enough pace, but he's done it and we're absolutely thrilled.”
Updated on 24/08/2018.
