Directa approach pays dividends

Friday 13 July 2012

By Ashely Wishaw

1 Gracia Directa (R Winston) 14-1
2 Sioux Rising (T Hamilton) 33-1
3 Hallelujah (M Lane) 11-1

German raider Gracia Directa continued the good form of German raiders in the tyregiant.com Summer Stakes at York.

Following Energizer's easy victory in the Tercentenary Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, the German filly was allowed to go off at 14-1, despite despite winning her last two starts and travelling halfway across Europe for trainer Dominik Moser.

Sentaril was the hot favourite for the Group Three contest, following her fast-finishing second in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot, while last year's Nunthorpe winner Margot Did was bidding to bounce back to form, but neither managed to get involved as Gracia Directa stayed on strongly to score by half a length from Sioux Rising.

Moser, who is based between Hanover and Hamburg and was having his first runner outside Germany, said: "We knew she was improving, so we thought we would bring her over to England to see how good she was.

"We bred her ourselves and have had some great fun with her. We didn't know much about the form of the others, and also how she would handle the ground, but she has done it well.

"Because we didn't know much about England or York we wanted a jockey that knew York very well, which is why we booked Robert (Winston).

"She may have been a big price, but I didn't back her. I can't even eat before a race, never mind have a bet!

"We'd had a look at where to go after this, but wanted to keep her against fillies. We'll definitely come back to England now we know she is good enough, and I've had a look at the Oak Tree Stakes at Goodwood over seven furlongs. We will get her home and see how she is."

Moser saddles Josephine Blanche in Saturday's John Smith's City Walls Stakes on the Knavesmire.