El Capitan Proves His Purchase Price

Friday, 04 October 2002 00:00

Expensive yearling purchase El Capitan has won his third consecutive race and has earned a crack at better class after scoring a fast finishing win in the Qantas 3yo Flying (1000m) at Moonee Valley tonight.

A regally bred son of the champion sire Danehill, El Capitan stalked the leaders back on the inside throughout before being switched off their heels and then scoring a good win.

El Capitan was sold for $675,000 at last year's William Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and is now owned by Coolmore's Sue Magnier and Michael Tabor.

Trained at Caulfield by Lee Freedman, El Capitan is out of Oh So Canny a Sir Tristram daughter of the Group One winner Canny Lass, who is turn is a full sister to the fellow Group One winner Canny Lad.

At the post El Capitan did enough to down the Tommy Hughes trained Gold Express, while Cooke Street made up some good late ground to grab third ahead of the early leader Judanzo.

One of the other more fancied runners, the Nick Moraitis owned Intuition, had a terrible run in transit and as expected weakened over the final stages to finish in eighth place.