Easter graduate Estriella wins G3 sprint
Estriella becomes Arrowfield's 6th Group-winning Inglis Easter graduate this season with Group 3 success at her 5th start. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
It’s been a milestone week for the Arrowfield & GSA Bloodstock mare Madrigals, thanks to her Inglis Easter graduate daughters Estriella in Australia and Love Poem in New Zealand.
Estriella (by I Am Invincible) showed early ability, winning her Gosford debut last June before joining another Arrowfield Easter graduate Autumn Ballet to complete the Silver Shadow S. G2 quinella in August.
Sent to the paddock in September, she resumed her 3YO career with an emphatic victory in Saturday’s $200,000 Peter Le Grand S. 1100m G3 at Caulfield. Coolly ridden by Blake Shinn, Estriella made a difficult task look easy, as she jumped from gate 13, rounded the turn wider than any other runner and sprinted boldly over the final 300 metres to defeat Lazzago and Brazen Style by two lengths in 1:02.97.
Estriella couldn’t have been more impressive first-up from a spell 🔥@cmaherracing @blake_shinn pic.twitter.com/YJmE52MYMc
— Racing.com (@Racing) February 10, 2024
Estriella was bought for $750,000 by her trainer Ciaron Maher for owners Kevin & Vikki Payne, who have also enjoyed notable success with Arrowfield graduates 3-time Group 1 winner Hitotsu (Maurice-Love Is Fickle) and this season’s Group 1-placed 3YO filly Tutta La Vita (The Autumn Sun-Negotiate). They can now look forward to Estriella’s likely next target, the $1 million Inglis Sprint at Flemington on 2 March.
Estriella is the third Group-winning filly bought from Arrowfield’s Inglis Easter 2022 consignment, after The Autumn Sun’s daughters Autumn Ballet & Autumn Angel. Current season male Group winners Muramasa (Deep Impact-Omei Sword), Remarque (Snitzel-Response) & Whizz Kid (Shalaa-Santa Rocks) were also sourced from Arrowfield’s recent Easter drafts.
Madrigals, a full sister to Champion 2YO & leading sire Pierro, was represented on 3 February by her 2YO daughter Love Poem (by Snitzel), who posted an excellent debut 2nd in the Taranaki 2YO Classic G3 for Lib Petagna’s JML Bloodstock and trainer Stephen Marsh. Love Poem was a $280,000 purchase by agent Bruce Perry from Arrowfield’s Inglis Easter 2023 draft.
Madrigals delivered an impressive colt by The Autumn Sun in 2023 and is safely in foal to Maurice.
Arrowfield, the vendor of 12 Group 1-winning Easter graduates since 2014, will present 61 yearlings at Inglis Easter 2024.
