Captain Crunch filly scorches in Sires Stakes Semi Final

Classy Captain Crunch filly Without You booked her spot in next month’s Group 1 Sires Stakes 3YO Fillies Final with an impressive performance in the first of the Semi Finals at Cambridge on Friday, winning in a career best mile rate of 1:51.8 in less than ideal conditions on a wet night.

The Mark and Nathan Purdon trained filly led off the gate before handing up to Arafura and then bided her time until the passing lane presented itself, charging home up the inside to score by three-quarters of a length.

Without You’s winning time of 1:58.2 (mile rate 1:51.8) for the 1700m was only 0.4 of a second outside of the national record for a 3-year-old filly, set at Ashburton on fine day.

Group 1 placed as a juvenile last season, Without You has now won three races and $86,575 in stakes earnings.

She is out of the Group Race placed American Ideal mare, River Polka.

It was a good weekend for her sire Captain Crunch, with the up-and-coming son of Captaintreacherous also siring a double at Addington on Friday (Malakai and Impressive Shard) as well as a winner at Invercargill on Thursday (The Real Crunch).

Captain Crunch is currently second on the NZ 3YO Pacing Sires Table by stakes won, behind only Bettor’s Delight, and has the highest number of individual 3-year-old winners to date this year.