Three-Year-Old Summary: Extreme Choice’s Esha is going places

Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos

Esha super impressive at the Valley

All the talk before race six at Moonee Valley was around Group 1 winner I Am A Star (NZ) (I Am Invincible)’s 3-year-old filly Esha (Extreme Choice) who had been impressive on debut as a May juvenile, and had won two trials leading into her first 3-year-old outing. She certainly delivered on those expectations with a 3.5 length win under jockey Damian Lane for trainer Shane Nichols.

Franking the form in second place was Listed winning juvenile Petite Artiste (Earthlight {Ire}) who is trained by Amy and Ash Yargi, while third placed Oyster Lane (Blue Point {Ire}) keeps running into quality horses being second in his first two starts behind both Listed winner Shining Smile (Spirit Of Boom) and Sonofkirk (Ole Kirk).

“She was very professional. She knows her job very well, she left (the gates) sharp and was able to control the race from the outset and never really felt like losing, so a really promising return,” said Lane.

“We will go stakes racing now,” Nichols said and mentioned the G2 Silver Shadow Stakes on August 23 at Randwick as a possible option. “It’s a long spring. I’m mindful if we win one then we will get penalties. I’d like to have a look at the Flemington straight as well. There’s a lot to look at and get right. We’ve seen she has the ingredients of a really nice filly going forward.

“She’s the daughter of one of the better horses I’ve trained. (Her owners) could have sent her anywhere. It’s a big boost having the confidence of an owner of such magnitude.”

Sales: Esha was sold by Newgate Farm at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $900,000 to Kia Ora Stud and Shane Nichols Racing. She is raced by Kia Ora Stud and Hollymount Stud who bred her.

Pedigree information: The third foal of G1 Myer Classic (now Empire Rose) winner I Am A Star, who won 10 races and over $1.5 million, Esha is I Am A Star’s second winner after Orion The Hunter (Deep Field) who has won five times. I Am A Star has an unnamed 2-year-old filly and yearling filly, both by Extreme Choice, and missed to him in 2024.

I Am A Star is a full sister to stakes placed Band On The Run, and is out of unraced Star Band (USA) (Dixieland Band {USA}) whose family includes G1 Santa Anita Yellow Ribbon Stakes winner Aube Indienne (Fr) (Bluebird {USA}).

Castle Road resumes in style

The question of whether Listed Perth Stakes winning juvenile Castle Road (Safeguard) had trained on at three was emphatically answered at Pinjarra on Saturday when the Paul Jordan-trained 3-year-old gelding won the first on the card over 1000 metres by 0.69 lengths, carrying the stakes winner’s penalty of 61kg, with the remainder of the field carrying 56 or 54 kg. Ridden by Craig Staples, he cruised to the front and stayed there, easily warding off any challengers.

“He’s really improved mentally this time in. At the trials and the same here he didn’t rip and tear, he travelled nicely,” Paul Jordan said. As a juvenile, he won three of his five starts but was known for his bad racing manners with a tendency to lay out.

“We’ll give him another run, then a break, and then back for those (summer stakes races). I didn’t want him to get too heavy as he’s quite a big strong horse, and over the winter, it’s allowed us to re-educate him a little bit.”

Castle Road has earnings over $350,000 for his racing owners, who include his breeder Mogumber Park. He didn’t go to auction as a young horse.

Gallery: Images courtesy of Western Racepix

Pedigree information: One of two stakes winners for Safeguard, Castle Road is one of nine winners from as many to race for recently deceased Clarecastle (Tribu) who has also produced stakes placed Royal Strata (Stratum), Specialism (Safeguard) and More Special (Safeguard). Her 2-year-old filly Lucy Red is a full sister to Castle Road, and Clarecastle also has a yearling colt by Marine One who is her final foal.

Twice Group 3-placed Clarecastle is a daughter of Listed Albany Cup-placed Colorado Belle (Santa Brae).

Good value purchase Captain Happy makes it two in a row

Shane and Cassie Oxlade-trained 3-year-old gelding Captain Happy (Written Tycoon) made it two wins in succession on Saturday at Morphettville when winning race three over 1050 metres by two lengths for apprentice jockey Matthew Chadwick. Placed on debut, he’s had just the three starts in his career to date.

“He was impressive today, wasn’t he? He got out quick and travelled well. I thought it might be a bit of a test (when pushed wide), and he was a bit green, but he put them away in the end,” Shane Oxlade said.

“He is (professional), just jumps and does everything right. Watching him go out on the sand the other morning, he was playing and carrying on like a ratbag, and then he put a foot on the grass, and he’s all professional.

“It was a nice field today with some nice horses in it, the top weight and a couple of other, and it’s a good quality race and he’s put them away nicely. I think he’s got a future.”

What the future holds is yet to be determined, but Captain Happy is another horse bred on the Written Tycoon Snitzel cross that has already produced Group 1 winners Private Life, Captured By Love and Velocious, who was purchased by Yulong for $1.625 million at the most recent Inglis Digital sale.

Sales: Captain Happy was a relative bargain for his sire, at $50,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale when bought by his trainers from Yulong’s draft.

Pedigree information: He is the first foal of Arousal (Snitzel) who was a winner over 1200 metres, and she has a 2-year-old filly by Tagaloa, a yearling filly by Pierata and is due to foal to Lucky Vega (Ire).

Arousal is a daughter of G3 Epona Stakes winner Intimate Moment (NZ) (Dubawi {Ire}), a half-sister to three stakes winners. Upham (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) won the G3 BRC Grand Prix Stakes and was fourth in the G1 HKJC Hong Kong Gold Cup, while Gold Rum (NZ) (Golan {Ire}) won a Listed race in New Zealand, but it is Listed SAJC Proud Miss Stakes winner Bonnie Mac (NZ) (Thorn Park) who has made the most impact on racing, producing three stakes winners led by G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner and emerging successful sire Exceedance, Group 2 winner and young sire Oxley Road, and Listed winner Mac ‘n’ Cheese (Sebring).

Foreign Press makes it two at Eagle Farm

The sire of Group 1 winner Sunshine In Paris, Invader might have found another good on with 3-year-old filly Foreign Press making it two in a row with a strong victory at Eagle Farm on Saturday over 1000 metres. Trained by Tony Gollan and ridden by Cejay Graham, the filly made it look rather easy in stretching out for a one length win.

Foreign Press debuted as a January 2-year-old in The Debut on the washed out Magic Millions day, a race won by Amosu (Invader), with Foreign Press finishing mid-field in sixth in treacherous conditions with the meeting called off shortly afterwards. Foreign Press resumed in late July with a victory at Ipswich over 800 metres, and now this win which takes her earnings over $86,000. Congratulations to TTR’s own Vicky Leonard who shares in the ownership.

Trainer Tony Gollan enjoyed a quartet on the Eagle Farm card with Free Carry (Bon Hoffa), Amur (Snitzel), and Gospel Girl (Epaulette).

Sales: Bought by Boomer Bloodstock for $65,000 at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Foreign Press was consigned by Figtree Thoroughbreds.

Pedigree information: From the family of Group 1 winner and young sire Sword Of State, Foreign Press is the first foal of Writer’s Block (Written Tycoon) who was a winner at 1200 metres, and has a 2-year-old colt by Aclaim (Ire). Writer’s Block is in foal to Spirit Of Boom and is a half-sister to R.Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic-placed Demanding Miss (Commands), dam of stakes placed Demanding Mo (Uncle Mo {USA}).