The $500,000 Listed VRC Sunlight Classic (1100m) at Flemington on Saturday produced another impressive stepping stone on the path to future Group I glory for progressive I Am Invincible filly Estriella.
The Ciaron Maher trained filly is undefeated this year, posting her third successive win with a dominant two and a half length victory over seasoned Group winning colt Arkansaw Kid.
Estriella was low flying for Blake Shinn covering the 1100m in a slick 1:02.31 to set a new class record and went within 0.16 seconds of the track record set by Loveyamadly in 2013.
"She is a horse that has got so much in front of her," Maher said.
"She's got an immature action, and we tinker away with her and she's not there mentally either.
"It is about holding her together, harnessing her, as she's got so much in front of her.
"I thought last start, her last win was huge. She sat out there in no man's land and quickened up to win by herself.
"We thought that win would have taken a bit out of her."
Where to next for Estriella is the big question with Maher considering options for the filly in Sydney and Adelaide in coming weeks.
Blake Shinn will be looking to stick with Estriella having ridden her in each of her three wins this year and believes she is Group I winner in the making.
"She's pretty special," Shinn said.
"She's got the frame of a four-year-old or five-year-old mare. It is just getting her mindset right, but she is learning all the time."
"I feel honoured to be riding a horse of this calibre at this point in time."
A $750,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Ciaron Maher Bloodstock from the Arrowfield Stud draft, Estriella runs for stable client clients Mr and Mrs Kevin Payne and has the overall record of four wins and two seconds from seven starts with prizemoney topping $1million.
Bred by Arrowfield in partnership, Estriella is a half-sister to Group IIII placed two year-old Love Poem and is the first winner for blueblood Lonhro mare Madrigals, a full sister to Golden Slipper winner and Champion 2YO Colt Pierro and half-sister to Group II winner Ambience.
Madrigals was bought from Godolphin at the 2017 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale by Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock for $425,000 and was sent to Japan in her first season at stud for a covering to Deep Impact which resulted in a filly called Polyphonic that placed three times from five starts before being retired to stud. She sadly died last year after producing just one foal, a colt by Maurice (Jpn).
Madrigals has no yearling for the sales this year, but did produce a colt by The Autumn Sun last year and is now in foal to Maurice.
Estriella is one of 14 Australian stakes-winners this season for I Am Invincible, who is well on his way to taking a third consecutive Champion Australian Sire title.
