Sea The Stars' Star Catcher Claims the Irish Oaks

Mark Smith - Sunday July 21

Supplemented for Saturday's Group 1 Irish Oaks at a cost of €40,000 after winning the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot, Star Catcher kept the ball rolling for trainer John Gosden and jockey Frankie Dettori when making all the running at The Curragh.

The bold-striding daughter of Sea The Stars held the challenge of the Zoffany filly Fleeting, who also chased her home at Ascot, by half a length with the Camelot's Epsom Oaks runner-up Pink Dogwood a further four and a half lengths back in third.  (image Sporting Life)

\

"When Frankie won on her at Royal Ascot, he said the last furlong was her best so he was determined it wouldn't be a falsely run race," Gosden told Sporting Life.

"You leave things to Frankie and his tactics today were perfect. We're very lucky to have him.

"We knew Star Catcher had really done well since the Ribblesdale. She's very progressive and can only get better.

"We'll think about the Yorkshire Oaks although we also have Coronet, Lah Ti Dar, Anapurna and maybe Enable. We'll see how Star Catcher comes out of this race before making a plan. There's also the Vermeille to consider."

Advertisement

It was third Irish Oaks for Gosden after Great Heavens in 2012 and Enable in 2017 and fifth for Dettori who won on Lailani (2001), Vintage Tipple (2003), Blue Bunting (2011) and Enable.

Star Catcher is one of three stakes winners out of the unraced Horse Chestnut mare Lynnwood Chase.

She had two stakes-winners by Lemon Drop Kid, the Grade 1 Canadian International Stakes winner Cannock Chase at the Group II Prix Eugene Adam winner Pisco Sour.

The winner of three of her five starts, Star Catcher was reported as sold for 240,000 gns at the 2016 Tattersalls December Foal Sale but races in the colours of her breeder Anthony Oppenheimer.

Star Catcher becomes the 12th Group 1 winner for Galileo's half-brother Sea The Stars who commands a fee of €135,000 at Gilltown Stud.
Advertisment
More Reading...
Sea The Stars Gelding Finding Australia Just Fine
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained import Just Fine (IRE) took a stranglehold on the $750,000 Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on September 30 with a dominant performance in Saturday’s Group III James Squire Kingston Town Stakes (2000m).
Niance Overcomes Serious Injury to Claim Stakes Victory
Exciting New Zealand-bred mare Niance has bounced back from a serious injury and picked up right where she left off last spring, collecting her third consecutive black-type win in Saturday’s A$175,000 Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.
Three Straight Stakes Wins For Cool Aza Beel’s Cool Archie
With no two-year-old currently performing better in Queensland, the Chirs and Corey Munce trained Cool Archie continued his outstanding form, taking out the $1m Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), his third consecutive black type victory.
Ears Back Wins Listed Stakes at Wanganui
A two-race North Island campaign has ended on a career-defining high for Ears Back and her Rangiora trainer John Blackadder, who scored their first black-type win in Saturday’s Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui.
Sea the Stars and Dettori Dominate Royal Ascot Day Three
Fresh from Group I success at Royal Ascot on the second day with Crystal Ocean, Galileo’s half-brother Sea the Stars was the dominating force on the third day with his champion stayer Stradivarius winning the Group I Royal Ascot Gold Cup for the second year in a row while his 3YO filly Star Catcher won the Group II Ribblesdale Stakes.
Cepheus Joins the Millionaires Club
While still processing the mind-boggling win of Gold Trip (FR) in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington, the Melbourne Cup hero led another successful day for European imports.
Bright Future for El Roca 3YO
Owner-trainer-breeder Kylie Little believes she might have a promising stayer on her hands with Eagle Rock, who left maiden ranks with an emphatic performance in Saturday’s Matt Edwards-Lime Group Mile (1600m) at Te Rapa.
First Local Win As New Endeavour (IRE) Records Stakes Success
While it may have taken the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained New Endeavour (IRE) a while to record his first Australian success, connections were rewarded for their patience as the 5yo dominated under Tim Clark to win the Group 3 BRC Lord Mayor’s Cup (1800m) at Eagle Farm.
When in Doubt Back a Frankel!
The $200,000 Listed ATC Lord Mayor’s Cup (2000m ) at Rosehill on Saturday attracted a competitive field of 14 stayers, the bulk of them imports and when you strike an open race like that it’s often wise to follow this piece of advice – when in doubt back a Frankel!
Fifty Stars (IRE) On Track for Doncaster Mile
A fortnight after capturing the Group II Blamey Stakes at Flemington, Victorian-trained Fifty Stars (IRE) travelled to Sydney for Saturday’s Group II Ajax Stakes at Rosehill and took until the final few strides to keep his Doncaster Mile dreams alive.