Third Brisbane Feature for Quintessential (NZ)

Kiwi mare Quintessential (NZ) continued her love affair with Queensland’s Winter Racing Carnival with a tough win over Manighar in Saturday’s A$250,000 Group 2 Eagle Farm Cup (2200m).

The win completed a great day in Australia with New Zealand bred horses forming the Group 1 trifecta in the Queensland Oaks with Gondokoro (NZ) (Zabeel), Miss Zenella (Zabeel) and Vaquera (High Chaparral), with the super-sire Zabeel siring the race quinella.

Quintessential will back up in this weekend’s Group 2 Brisbane Cup

The race completed a Group-winning double for Quintessential (Fast ‘N’ Famous x Florette) at Eagle Farm since she also won the Group 3 Chairman’s Trophy (2100m) at her last start. The mare has won all three of her Australian Group races at Eagle Farm, including the Group 1 Queensland Oaks last year, as well as collecting a second placing in the Queensland Derby.

Saturday’s race saw the John Sargent trained mare put in a solid performance, showing good early pace from the gates to settle second before ambling up alongside race leader Voila Ici at the 800 metre mark. Always traveling well under jockey Damien Browne, Quintessential took the lead 300 metres from home and determinedly held off triple Group 1 winner Manighar for a short head win, her first at weight-for-age level.

“It was a very good effort,” commented Sargent. “The connections of Manighar lodged an inquiry into the race but there was not much in it which was a relief.

“Quintessential loves Eagle Farm and we are going to take her to the Group 2 Brisbane Cup this weekend. She backed up from the Oaks to the Derby last year and ran second to Brambles so we know she can do it. We will give her a light week and hopefully she runs well again.”

Quintessential’s record now stands at six wins from 21 starts, with a further seven placings, for A$709,309 in prizemoney.

Bred by Trelawney Thoroughbreds, Quintessential was purchased by Adrian Clark from Trelawney Stud at NZB’s 2010 Select Sale for $70,000. She is raced by Greg Tomlinson’s Nearco Stud.