A disinterested twelfth of thirteen at Sale when on debut in August, Ersa improved to finish a close-up fifth behind Grinzinger Belle over 1300m a month later. Still, that did not prepare for the ruthless demolition by the 3-year-old daughter of Lonhro in a 1600m maiden at Ballarat on Monday.
Ridden by Michael Dee for Ben, Will and JD Hayes, Ersa sailed off to the sunset, leaving the Divine Prophet filly Seamingly nine lengths in her wake with the Shamus Award gelding Shamus Eagle a further two and a half lengths back in third.
While the win was not unexpected, Ersa did start odds-on; the margin of victory was startling as the 11-horse field was spaced out over 35-lengths.
It was a satisfying win for the big-spending Yulong Investments, who bred and sold the sister to Group 1 MRC Blue Diamond Stakes winner Lyre after purchasing her dam Erato for $1,750,000 from the Yarraman Park Stud draft at the 2019 National Broodmare Sale.
At the same sale two years earlier, Australian Bloodstock had snapped up Erato off Godolphin for $120,000.
Yulong took a hit when the Russian Revolution colt she was carrying died after birth.
Sporting the colours of Gerry Rtan's Limerick Lane, Ersa was a $200,000 buy for Robert Roulston Bloodstock from the Yulong draft at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Australia Bloodstock reentered the fray when, along with trainer Kris Lees, made the winning bid of $350,000 for Erato’s Alabama Express filly at the Magic Millions in January. Yulong has retained an interest, as has the Cook family.
Named Phibber, she is the most expensive filly from the first crop of her Yulong-based sire.
Pedigrees don’t come much better than Erato. The daughter of Street Cry (IRE) is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Impending (Lonhro), Group III winner Forget (Exceed And Excel) and Listed winner Epidemic (Lonhro). She is also a sister to Group II Silver Shadow Stakes runner-up Memorial, while her dam Mnemosyne has trophies for the Group 1 Thousand Guineas and Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes.
Erato was covered by Written Tycoon last spring.
