Eternal Flame out until the spring

Eternal Flame will head to the paddock a two-time Stakes winner after taking out the Sunline Stakes at Moonee Valley.

The Mick Kent-trained mare added Saturday’s Group 2 contest over 1600m to win in the Group 3 Matron Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on March 9.

Ridden by Ethan Brown, Eternal Flame ($9.50) scored a three-quarter length win from Rumbled Again ($81) with Capionessa ($4.60) the same margin off third.

Kent said Eternal Flame had earned a break and would be set for a spring campaign.

“She’s had a busy few weeks, but she’s coped with it really well,” Kent said.

“We’ll put her out now for the spring and I think she can improve more.

“We thought at Flemington that it would be enough, but she just thrived.

“We thought (today) it wouldn’t be the right track for her but she drew a nice barrier so there was no point going to the paddock when she was in such good form.”

Kent praised Ethan Brown, who has done most of the work on Eternal Flame.

The victory also brought up a winning double for the jockey after his success on Growing Empire in the Listed Valley Pearl (1200m) earlier in the program.

“He’s been on this horse all along but through circumstances he’s missed the ride twice and Damian (Lane) has filled his shoes,” Kent said.

“It is good to see him back on her. He actually got a lot of money with that Power Play when he won on her at Pakenham, so she has been good to him.

“He understands her well and I thought it was a real heady ride because we were very keen to be in the first four.

“We had a good walk of the track and thought it was better to be three or four deep.

“We didn’t see Foxy Cleopatra going forward and putting us back a length further, but he was smart and bided his time and got her in the three-wide lane early.”