Cape Verdi is a retired, Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. She was trained in England and Dubai during a racing career which consisted of eight races between May 1997 and July 1999. In 1998 she won the 1000 Guineas by five lengths and was the beaten favourite in The Derby. She was named the European Champion Three-Year-Old Filly at the 1998 Cartier Racing Awards. Cape Verdi was retired after two unsuccessful races as a four-year-old in 1999. Background Cape Verdi, a dark-coated bay filly, was bred in Ireland by her owner, Robert Sangster's Swettenham Stud. Her sire, Caerleon, won the Prix du Jockey Club and the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup in 1983 and went on to become an "excellent" stallion, siring the winners of more than 700 races including Generous, Marienbard and Warrsan. Her dam Afrique Bleu Azur finished last on her only racecourse appearance, but was well bred, being a sister of the Breeders' Cup Classic winner Arcangues. Cape Verdi was first sent into training with Peter Chapple-Hyam at Manton, Wiltshire. After her third race she was bought by Maktoum Al Maktoum and at the end of her first season her ownership was transferred to the Maktoum family's Godolphin organisation. She was then moved to the stable of Saeed bin Suroor, spending her winters in Dubai before returning to race in England in summer. Her name was reported to be an accidental misspelling of Cape Verde. Racing career 1997: two-year-old season Cape Verdi began her career in a maiden race at the Guineas meeting at Newmarket in May for which she was made odds-on favourite. She started slowly but was soon racing with the leaders before taking the lead a furlong out and winning by two lengths from the colt Trans Island, a future Group Race winner. Cape Verdi again took on colts in her second race whensent to Royal Ascot for the Chesham Stakes. She was held up in the early stages by John Reid before moving easily through to contest the lead in the last quarter mile. In the closing stages, the colt Central Park (a future double Group One winner) ran on more strongly and beat the filly by one and a half lengths. Cape Verdi was off the course for two months before running in the Lowther Stakes at York in which she was matched against the Princess Margaret Stakes winner Embassy. Reid once again held