Gracia Directa Seeking Repeat Win At York

Gracia Directa will today aim to defend the 32Red Summer Stakes crown that she won at York last year.

Gracia Directa will today aim to give her connections another thrill when she aims to defend the 32Red Summer Stakes crown that she won at York last year.

The daughter of Kyllachy put her trainer Dominik Moser on the map as far as British racing goes when landing the Group 3 with his first ever runner outside of Germany.

On that occasion, she belied her official handicap mark (87 at the time) to record a glorious victory by half a length from Sioux Rising.

It was a mighty win for Moser, who trains 45 horses in mid-Germany, and one he will always cherish

Moser recalled: “How pleased was I? it was a dream. It was (our) first race out of Germany. I feel it was a very big step to come – and to win was a dream.

“I needed a few days to understand what we had done. My phone was ringing for hours after the race.

“The newspapers in Germany, from the north to the south, were reporting it. All of them were writing about the sensation of our win at York.”

Gracia Directa has since proved her high-class performance that day was no one-off.

Indeed, her last two starts have seen her finish second in a Group 3 at Munich and then fill the same berth in the six-furlong (Listed) Cecil Frail Stakes at Haydock.

Now she is back for more on the Knavesmire and Moser has supplied an upbeat bulletin as her latest Group 3 assignment (2.25pm, Fri) draws nearer.

He said: “She has travelled very well and she seems good. I think she seems better than last year before the race.”

If that turns out to be the case, then the German journalists may once again need to sharpen their pens.”