Photo: Bruno Cannatelli
Group One winner Quintessa (Shamus Award) returned with a bang when running out a resounding winner of the Gr.3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
The Mark Walker-trained mare lumped 60kg topweight under Daniel Stackhouse and looks set to contest races over sprint-mile distances this campaign after getting out to 2400m when fourth in the Gr.1 Australian Oaks last autumn.
Coming from midfield, Quintessa forged away from her rivals to record a three-quarter length victory from Extratwo and La Danseuse Rouge.
Although racing out of Walker’s Cranbourne stable, Quintessa returned to Te Akau Stud in New Zealand to spell between her three and four-year-old seasons and did much of her preparation out of the stable’s Matamata base, including a trial at Te Awamutu in mid-August.
“She actually went home and spelled and has been prepared over there,” Walker’s Assistant Trainer Ben Gleeson said.
“She had one trial over there and they had been really happy with her. She had a gallop just before she came over and she really pleased Mark.
“Hindsight is a wonderful thing in racing and while she is bred to stay, this preparation Mark has thought that if we train her a bit fresh and keep her at the shorter trips, she might be that sprinter-miler sort of mare and that tale has been true today.
“There is a lovely program for these fillies and mares. She will go two weeks to the Let’s Elope Stakes (Gr.2, 1400m) and ideally we will get her to the Empire Rose (Gr.1, 1600m) during Cup Week at Flemington.
“That is probably the perfect race for her.”
Te Akau Racing has previously enjoyed success in the Cockram Stakes with star mare Probabeel winning the 2021 edition under the tutelage of now Hong Kong-based trainer Jamie Richards.
Prior to Saturday’s Group Three victory, Quintessa had already amassed an impressive CV, having won the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) and Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), plus stakes placings in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) and Gr.2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m).
Bred by Linda and Graham Huddy’s Peachester Lodge, Quintessa was born and raised at Wentwood Grange in Cambridge and the daughter of Shamus Award has finished fourth in three Group One races including the Waikato Sprint (1400m), the Australian Guineas (1600m) and Australian Oaks (2400m).
Te Akau principal David Ellis purchased Quintessa out of Wentwood Grange’s 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $170,000 and she has now won five of her 11 starts and A$729,779 in prize money
