We’ve already seen one of last year’s top three year-old fillies in Joliestar come back this spring with an explosive sprint win in the Group III ATC Show County Quality and while the daughter of Zoustar is now seen as a potential Everest contender her sire’s archrival I Am Invincible also has an up and coming mare in the sprinter’s mix.
With a changing of the guard looming in the sprint division Ciaron Maher might have the horse to blow them all out of the water in Estriella, who went around in an 800m heat at Cranbourne on Monday clocking 46.19 seconds with an utterly dominant display and the beaten brigade included WA sprint star Bustling, who has already secured an Everest slot and was having his first public trial for new trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr.
With four wins from eight starts, Estriella was starting to put it altogether during the autumn, but came unstuck when fifth in the Group I SAJC Robert Sangster Classic. That might have been a bridge too far at that time, but she looks ready to take another step now with the Group I Moir Stakes mentioned as a starting point.
The stayers were out in force in this 1200m heat with runaway Queensland Derby winner Warmonger looking sensational as he surged past expensive Yulong import Place du Carrousel (IRE), who was second to Via Sistina in the Group I ATC Ranvet Stakes at her first Australian run in the autumn.
Yulong paid €4,025,000 for Place du Carrousel at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale last year so will be hoping to get a return this spring and as a comparison Warmonger sold for $165,000 at the NZB Ready to Run Sale to Kiwi trainer Shane Kennedy, who then won a trial with the horse and sold him to OTI Racing privately.
