Quintessa too smart first-up at Caulfield races

Having been tried as a stayer during her three-year-old days, Quintessa will be kept to shorter trips after her first-up win at Caulfield.

Having her first start since running fourth in the Group 1 ATC Oaks (2400m) at Randwick in April, Quintessa resumed with a brave first-up win in the Group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) on Saturday.

Ridden by Daniel Stackhouse, Quintessa ($12) scored a three-quarter length win from Extratwo ($6) with La Danseuse Rouge ($17) a nose away third.

Ben Gleeson, the Australian-based assistant for New Zealand-based trainer Mark Walker, said Quintessa had returned to New Zealand to spell following her Oaks outing.

He said the plan was to keep the mare fresh this campaign and hopefully aim towards the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on November 2.

“Hindsight’s a wonderful thing in racing,” Gleeson said.

“She’s bred to stay but this preparation if we train her a bit fresh and keep her at shorter trips, she might be that sprinter-miler filly, and that’s been a tale to be true today.”

Gleeson said Quintessa was likely to follow a traditional mares’ program through to the Empire Rose Stakes.

He said the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on September 14 was the next likely race for Quinetessa.

“There’s a lovely program for these fillies and mares,” Gleeson said.

“She’ll go two weeks to the Let’s Elope, and ideally we’re getting her to Flemington, Melbourne Cup week and running in the Empire Rose.

“That’s probably the perfect race for her if we keep training her like that mile type of mare, I think that’s her perfect race.

“If you actually look at her form, I think she’s been completely overlooked

“First-up, three runs she’s been placed and then three goes at 1200 (metres) she’s been in the finish every time, so her form was on the board, but everyone sort of overlooked it.

“Mark was very confident she’d run a big race and had been happy since she came over a couple of weeks ago, so we were buoyish.”