Capitola returned to his brilliant when blitzing a slick juvenile field in the PKF Perth Plate (1100m) at Ascot on Saturday.

The Luke Fernie-trained youngster had won the Initial Plate (1000m) on debut in October but finished among the tailenders when asked to raise the bar in the RL Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) in February and LR Perth Stakes (1100m) in April.

“It hasn’t been smooth sailing.  He was nearly knocked over in the Perth Stakes and didn’t pull up very well so we had to miss the Karrakatta Plate,” Fernie revealed following the front-running victory over Brave Wasp (Brave Smash) and Playin’it Sweet (Playing God).

“It was a toss-up whether we would send him to the paddock or keep going but he’s been a professional getting over those hiccups.  I thought he could win today and it was a good result.”

It was also the start of an exciting week for Amelia Park owner Peter Walsh who bred and sold him in partnership with Peter and Mark Chadwick.  Walsh has his Group 1 winning mare Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni) going under the hammer at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale (Lot 95) in Sydney on Thursday evening.

The trio received $110,000 when Capitola was knocked down to Fernie at the 2024 Swan Valley Yearling Sale.  He’s six starts into a career that can be built on black-type and has already earned $141,810 boosted by Westspeed Bonuses of $45,650.

His dam Rio Del Mar (Magnus) had been purchased as a foal for $20,000 at the 2017 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale and she won a G3 Gimcrack Stakes (1100m) at Ascot in a career limited to five starts.

Her current foal is a Playing God colt born in September and she was bred back to Capitalist at Newgate Farm in November.  Second-dam Costanera (Encosta De Lago) is an unraced three-quarter sister to Titanic Jack (G1 VRC Emirates Stakes).