Esternay Flies at Flemington

Impressive last start winner Esternay (3 f All Too Hard – Sezanne, by More Than Ready) emulated the feat when coming from last to win the A$65,000 Les Carlyon (Rating 70 3YO 1400 metres) on 25 April at Flemington.

In the colours of Brendan & Jo Lindsay (Cambridge Stud), Esternay had recorded a huge victory, after being trapped wide, in the Maiden 1400 metres on 28 March at Cranbourne (Victoria), and had since ran home well in a jump out there on 14 April.

Having looked good in three starts, Esternay shaped to prove competitive up in grade and so it proved.

Confidently ridden by Victorian premiership leading jockey Blake Shinn, Esternay was content to let matters unfold when steadying to last at the 800m, travelled on the bridle while others were pushed up at the 400m, and once angled to the outside at the 250m she let go with an explosive turn of foot to win easily.

In the race named in honour of debonair racing journalist Les Carlyon, Esternay clocked 1:22.6 for 1400 metres on Good4 footing, ran fastest last 600m (33.6), and shortened from an earlier NZ TAB fixed odds quote of $19.00 & $5.50 to pay $9.40 & $2.70 on the tote.

While the win confirmed a bright future for the filly, it also continued the success for the combination of Shinn and Te Akau Racing after winning the $1 million TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (Restricted Listed, 1200m) with La Dorada, and both the $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (Restricted Listed, 1600m) and $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (Restricted Listed, 1500m) aboard Damask Rose.

“It was another really good win by Esternay,” said trainer Mark Walker.

“Blake (Shinn) was very patient. She had the ability to come from last and beat them all, and it’s great for Brendan & Jo Lindsay and the whole Cambridge Stud team.

“She’s been a work in progress, this filly. Laura Winks (strapper) rides her everyday and Ben (Gleeson) and our team have been really patient and treated her with kid gloves.

“But now, with two smart wins under her belt, it should give her a lot of confidence going forward and I think she’ll make into a really nice four-year-old mare.

“Talking with (Cambridge Stud CEO) Henry Plumptre after the race, if we spell her now, I think she could be a promising mare in some good Spring assignments leading up to the carnival at Flemington.”

Her dam Sezanne won twice to 1250 metres and placed at Group 1 and Group 2 level in Australia, leaving Joiselle (Snitzel), the winner of three from four starts to 1200 metres, while her grand-dam Champagne Harmony (Choisir) was a Group 2 winning sprinter that left five individual winners of 11 races.

Most notably, her fourth dam L’Quiz (L'Enjoleur), left sensational filly and mare Champagne (Zabeel), dual Group 1 winner of the Mackinnon Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m) and Ansett Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m), who formed a famous Zabeel quinella in the 1998 Melbourne Cup (Gr. 1, 3200m) when finishing second to Jezabeel (Zabeel).

L’Quiz also produced dual Group 1 and Group 2 winning stallion St Reims (Zabeel).

Her sire All Too Hard, an Australian Champion Three-Year-Old, is a half-brother to unbeaten champion Black Caviar (Bel Esprit), who won all 25 of her starts including 15 at Group 1 level. 

Winning three times as a two-year-old, All Too Hard won three Group 1 races over 1400 metres in Australia: All Aged Stakes, Futurity Stakes, C. F. Orr Stakes, and now made his mark as a sire with progeny winning over 1700 races, includin 71 stakes' wins.

Esternay was strapped by Laura Winks.

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