Te Akau Racing’s elite females continued on their winning way at Caulfield on Saturday and the trend could continue on to next week with one of the stable’s star fillies to race in Saturday’s Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington.
Just a week after Imperatriz scored another famous Group One win in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington, six-year-old mare Campionessa (NZ) (Contributer) scored narrowly in the Gr.2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) over the likes of Melbourne Cup winners Vow And Declare and Gold Trip.
Trainer Mark Walker confirmed on Saturday that Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) winner Quintessa (NZ) (Shamus Award) had arrived in Melbourne to attempt to make it back-to-back Australian Guineas wins for Kiwi fillies following the success of Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) last year.
“She won a Group One in New Zealand, so we thought we’d give her a crack here,” he said.
“She’s a winner. She’s got a good record and Flemington will suit her as well.”
Walker conceded last year’s winner was racing better when she tackled the Guineas. “I think Legarto had better form, but she deserves her chance,” he said.
Quintessa has won four of her seven starts in New Zealand.
As Flemington’s Guineas meeting clashes with the Gr.1 TAB New Zealand Derby (2400m), Opie Bosson will stay in New Zealand, with Michael Dee getting the call-up on the $21 chance.
“Coming across as a Group One winner says enough, horses have been coming across the last 24 months and winning a lot of races,” Te Akau Racing’s assistant trainer Ben Gleeson said of the New Zealand horses.
“The three-year-old form in New Zealand is very strong this year, so that stacks up, and she ran in an open-aged Group One last start with (fellow three-year-old) Crocetti and they ran second and fourth.
“Out to a mile, she is one of the nicer progressive horses coming out of New Zealand … so we will see how she measures up.”
Gleeson saw her in New Zealand before she had her first start and said she’s the best-looking Shamus Award he’s seen.
“She’s quite well balanced and she was strong and nuggetty then, but with the time between, she’s trimmed up and looks a lot more athletic now, but she is a classy, good-looking mover,” Gleeson said.
Plans post the Guineas are still to be determined, but Gleeson said it is expected Quintessa will return to New Zealand and being out of a High Chaparral mare, could further excel over more distance.
Racing NSW confirmed on Wednesday that due to a clerical error, late nominations for Quintessa as well as stablemates Campionessa and Certainly had been approved for the Gr.1 Queen of the Turf Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on April 13.
