Gr3 Victory For Duke’s Daughter

Duke Of Marmalade – international Group winner and Oaks contender

Drakenstein Stud’s exciting resident sire Duke Of Marmalade produced the winner of Wednesday afternoon’s Gr3 Tattersalls Musidora Stakes at York. The John Gosden-trained Star Of Seville now rates as one of the leading fancies for the Investec Oaks, which is due to be run at Epsom in June.

Star Of Seville, is a winner of three of her four outings to date and starting favourite won narrowly under a typically Frankie Dettori ride – she led all the way and held off the late challenge of Together Forever.

Dettori was upbeat about his mount’s Epsom prospects, saying: “For some reason, she seemed to just want wait for them to catch her up at the furlong-pole before she went on again!

“I really like her and the thing is you don’t know how much more there is the tank. The feeling she gives you is that there is more to come and she’s a well-balanced filly with a good attitude and I don’t think Epsom will be any problem at all.”

The Musidora has been won recently by subsequent Investec Oaks winners Diminuneo, Snow Bride, Reams Of Verse and Sariska.

Other top class fillies to have won the feature  include such future Gr1 winners as Indian Skimmer, In The Groove, Pure Grain, Islington and The Fugue, while last year’s winner, Madame Chiang, went on to land the Gr1 Qipco British Champion Fillies and Mares Stakes.

Star Of Seville’s sire Duke Of Marmalade has already made his mark in the classics of 2015, with his unbeaten daughter Sound Of Freedom having captured the recent G3 Premio Regina Elena (Italian 1000 Guineas).

John Gosden has now won three of the last five renewals of this race.