Miss Yoda has Sea The Stars in the Classic limelight once again

Sunday’s Preis der Diana [German Oaks] was the perfect fit for Miss Yoda as the joint sales-topper at Baden-Baden two years ago returned to her homeland for Classic glory.

The daughter of Sea The Stars was bought for €280,000 by Blandford Bloodstock on behalf of Westerberg, the racing operation of financier Georg von Opel.

Von Opel has begun to invest quite seriously in thoroughbreds over the last couple of year, joining forces with Coolmore’s MV Magnier for fillies including unraced two-year-old Espania, a Galileo sister to Forever Together for €3,000,000 at Goffs Orby last October.

Miss Yoda has been the best to have been seen in Westerberg’s scarlet and blue silks so far, breaking new ground in this race in Dusseldorf for her owner as well as trainer John Gosden and jockey Frankie Dettori.

Sea The Stars: already a multiple Classic-winning stallionCredit: Patrick McCann

The chestnut won her first two starts as a juvenile before placing in the Group 3 Zetland Stakes at Newmarket. She earned more priceless black type by winning the Lingfield Oaks Trial and, after two reversals in better company, returned to the fore with a gutsy effort from the front to hold Zamrud, a daughter of Samum, by three-quarters of a length.

She becomes a 43rd Group winner for Gilltown Stud’s mighty Sea The Stars, and a 14th at the top level to join a club which includes Classic scorers Harzand, Sea Of Class, Star Catcher, Taghrooda and Sea The Moon.

Miss Yoda’s dam Monami ran in the German Oaks in 2012 and won a Group 2 trial race. Gestut Etzean’s mare has also produced Sir Mark Prescott’s multiple winner Matchmaking while her Kingman colt foal made even more than his sister when selling for an impressive 340,000gns to Baroda Stud at Tattersalls last November.

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