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Star Kiwi Mare Retired and Headed to Stud in Australia

Media Release - Thursday October 5
A recurring fetlock injury has robbed Capella of a start at Hastings and led to her early retirement.

The Gary Harding-bred and raced Rip Van Winkle five-year-old will fly to Australia next Tuesday with a tentative booking to Arrowfield Stud stallion Snitzel.

Capella - Trish DunnellMatamata trainer Danica Guy withdrew Capella from Saturday's Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Hastings earlier this week after her fetlock injury flared up again.

"Things have just gone wrong with her. She sprained her fetlock in the Rich Hill Mile and she must have torn the ligament over the fetlock worse than we thought she had," Guy said.

"She'd been coming along great but it's just flared up. She's got no problem with her bone structure and she's X-rayed clean but it's just a shame this has happened again.

"Gary has had a good offer for her and he'll have to weigh that up but either way, she's heading off to Arrowfield on Tuesday."

Out of Harding's Group Three-winning Grosvenor mare Limerick, Capella won three of her 14 starts, claiming the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie as a three-year-old before finishing third in the Gr.2 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (2100m) at Te Rapa and fourth in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie.

She went on to finish fifth in the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) and seventh in the Gr.1 Australian Oaks (2400m) in Sydney.

"Her Eight Carat win was massive but her run in the Derby was super too. She only went down half a length," Guy said.

"I've had nothing that can gallop like her. She can run fast sectionals and maintain that. She's a bit freakish like that."

Without Capella, Galaxy Miss will be left to fly the flag for the stable this weekend, though Guy had yet to decide whether to tackle the Gr.3 Red Badge Spring Sprint (1400m) at Hastings on Saturday or the New Zealand Red Cross 1400 at Te Rapa on Friday.

"My thinking is if we get a bit of rain, we may as well go down and run in the black-type race. If we had a shower or two of rain and the track was a dead four or five, it's probably a better race for her," Guy said.

"She's going okay. She's eating well and looks great. From barrier one, with Danielle [Johnson, jockey] on and carrying 53 kilos, she'd have to be a chance with the cut out of the track."

TAB bookmakers have Galaxy Miss at $16 for the Spring Sprint in a market headed by Francaletta at $4. - NZ Racing Desk

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