Brilliant filly Estijaab ran the race of her life to score an all the way win in the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill today.
Estijaab, above, leads all of the way to win the 2018 Golden Slipper at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Estijaab flew the gates from an outside barrier to cross the field and jockey Brenton Avdulla was able to rate her perfectly in front.
Avdulla still had plenty of horse underneath him as heads turned for home and the filly was able to show plenty of courage to ward off all the challengers in the run to the line.
Estijaab ($8.50) had a head to spare over the runner up Oohood ($17) who was making a dive up along the inside while Sunlight ($5) tried hard in the straight to give trainer Tony McEvoy second and third across the line.
The $4.80 favourite Written By had every chance and finished just behind the placegetters in fourth position.
The Hawkes Racing Team of John, Wayne and Michael claimed their second Golden Slipper win as a training partnership after Mossfun won in 2014 while John Hawkes had previously trained Guineas (1997) and Forensics (2007) to win the richest two year old race in the world.
“They are not easy races to win and from the barrier it always made it a bit more difficult,” John Hawkes said.
“She is a super filly. You have to have them peaking on the right day, no use winning the slipper two weeks before.”
“We wanted her right on the right day and let everyone else have all the other wins.”
“We won a slipper with Mossfun, so we have won two with the boys and the family and Emirates which is unbelievable.”
Hawkes said that the plan was to go forward from the wide barrier and Avdulla made sure that everything fell into place.
“That was part of the plan. We were happy to take up the lead. A brilliant ride by Brenton.”
Emirates Park paid $1.7m for Estijaab as a yearling and the Snitzel filly has now repaid her purchase price and will be worth a lot more as a brood mare in the future.
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