Capo Dell Impero shows his class in Cromwell Cup win

Capo Del Impero at a very wet jump out in 2022

By Jonny Turner

Class prevailed when Capo Dell Impero charged through the pack to win the Cromwell Cup on Sunday.

The White Robe Lodge-trained son of Ghibellines gained a deserved victory after his outstanding fifth in the recent Group Three Coupland’s Bakeries Mile.

Capo Dell Impero (Ghibellines-Gallant Babe-Gallant Guru) produced one of the fastest closing 600m splits in the Riccarton feature.

That looked outstanding form for the Cromwell Cup, and it proved to be the case when Capo Dell Impero burst through mid-pack to score on Sunday.

“He is a class animal, and he was right on the tail of those North Island horses in the Coupland’s Mile,” Brian Anderton said.

“It was time to step him up to a mile and a quarter and he ran a great race.”

“He has always been a nice horse, and his record past a mile is very good.”

“We will just have to assess our options about where to go next.”

“We have the option of freshening him up and going back to a mile for the Timaru Cup, then there’s the White Robe after that.”

“Shane and I will discuss it and make a plan.”

Capo Dell Impero is the latest in a long line of winners for breeders, the late Pat and Janice Smith, and trainers Brian and Shane Anderton.

“We have had a great association with the Smiths, and it is wonderful that Mrs. Smith is able to carry it on.”

“The breed goes back to Red Sash, who was a very handy mare trained down south.”

“It wasn’t all plain sailing at the start; one of the first ones was a filly that went up to Christchurch and ran a nice fourth.”

“She looked very promising, but she had a paddock accident straight after she got home.”

“But over the years, there have been a lot of winners, and the Smiths have been great friends of ours.”

Capo Dell Impero’s Cromwell Cup win headed a great weekend of results for White Robe Lodge sire Ghibellines.

Adiktiv Passion (Ghibellines-Cristallo-Raise The Flag) ran to a nice victory over 1220m on Sunday for trainer Leda Beck.

On Saturday, Ghibellines added another win to his tally across the Tasman when The Right Way (Ghibellines-The Choice-O'Reilly) scored at Toowoomba for trainer Greg Wright.

Late last month, the White Robe Lodge-bred No Drama (Ghibellines-Sheeza Drama-Pure Theatre) was a slick winner at Mooney Valley for trainer Lindsay Smith.