Tag Archive for: Estrange

No rush to commit to autumn target for Estrange

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Connections of Estrange remain undecided as to whether to shoot for Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe glory or target Qipco Champions Day at Ascot next month.

With a pre-Arc trip to Paris for this weekend’s Prix Vermeille ruled out, trainer David O’Meara and owners Cheveley Park Stud now face a straight choice between aiming for Europe’s premier middle-distance contest on October 5, or taking the perceived easier option of the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes a fortnight later.

After seeing Estrange chase home Aidan O’Brien’s Minnie Hauk in the Yorkshire Oaks two weeks ago, Cheveley Park director Richard Thompson admitted the Arc was a “dream” target, but the team are understandably in no rush to make concrete plans.

Cheveley Park’s managing director, Chris Richardson, said: “Obviously we’ll keep both options open and see what happens – we wouldn’t be ruling out either option at this point.

“I think Mrs Thompson is probably favouring Ascot, I believe, and her son Richard is favouring Longchamp perhaps.

“Obviously Minnie Hauk if is going for the Arc and some of Aidan O’Brien other big ones, we’ll just have to assess what’s going where.

“We’ve got plenty of time and there’ll be plenty of discussion before we make our mind up. We’ll see what the ground is looking like and what the competition is.

“In the 50th year of their ownership of the stud, it would be a bit of a dream to expect to win the Arc, but it would be fun to have a runner.”

Paris or Ascot assignments will come into view for Estrange

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Estrange will set her sights on one of two big autumn Group One prizes after her second-placed run in the Yorkshire Oaks last week.

The four-year-old began her season with a Group Three win at Listed level at Haydock, after which she returned to the same track to take the Group Two Lancashire Oaks.

She continued to progress up the levels on the Knavesmire, facing a stiff task carrying a penalty for her age and facing dual Oaks heroine Minnie Hauk on ground quicker than ideal.

Estrange after finishing second in the Yorkshire Oaks
Estrange after finishing second in the Yorkshire Oaks (Ashley Iveson/PA)

While the latter was ultimately a convincing winner, Estrange was a long way from being disgraced when beaten three and a half lengths for trainer David O’Meara under Danny Tudhope.

“She did very well, we thought she ran a blinder,” said Chris Richardson, managing director of owners Cheveley Park Stud.

“We were in two minds as to whether or not to run because of the ground, but it was only a four-runner race and a Group One at a premier track.

“We wanted to run if we could, I think the public wanted to see her and the racecourse wanted her to run.

“The ground wasn’t ideal, I’d have loved that shower of rain that I imagined was going to happen, but she ran very well and it’s no disgrace to be beaten giving 9lb to a dual Classic winner and probably the best three-year-old filly around.”

Both the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot and the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe are under consideration for the grey’s next outing, as is the prospect of her delaying her broodmare career and returning to training next season.

Estrange after winning on the final day of the season at Doncaster last year
Estrange after winning on the final day of the season at Doncaster last year (Nick Robson/PA)

Richardson said: “We could go straight for the Arc now or we could go to Ascot, I don’t think she’ll have a run in between, it just depends on what happens with the ground. But it has got to rain at some point, so hopefully we can get some soft ground in autumn.

“She’s given us a great deal of pleasure already and we will see how things unravel during the rest of the year, Mrs Thompson hasn’t decided whether she will be retiring at the end of the season or possibly staying in training next year.

“They are a long time in the paddock when they go off to have babies, and she missed out on her two-year-old year so perhaps she could keep going in 2026.”

Estrange keeps Arc hopes afloat with Yorkshire Oaks run

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The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe dream remains alive for connections of Estrange after she chased home Minnie Hauk in the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks.

David O’Meara’s grey had looked every inch a top-class filly in winning four of her first five starts, most recently striking Group Two gold in last month’s Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.

Despite ground concerns, Estrange was given the go-ahead to step up to Group One level for the first time on the Knavesmire and her supporters must have been getting excited as she cruised menacingly into contention under Danny Tudhope early in the home straight.

She was ultimately no match for the Epsom and Irish Oaks heroine Minnie Hauk, to whom she was conceding 9lb, but there still appears to be every chance she could become Cheveley Park Stud’s first runner in Europe’s premier middle-distance contest on October 5.

“She ran a cracker on ground that maybe wasn’t quite ideal for her – she likes a bit softer. She was giving the winner 9lb and has finished second in a Group One to upgrade her CV, so we’re delighted,” said Cheveley Park director Richard Thompson.

“Two furlongs out, I’ve got to say, for a couple of seconds I thought ‘we could do this’. But you soon realised Minnie Hauk had too much and the 9lb was too much.

“The bottom line is it was a very good performance and we’re delighted to get second in a Group One.”

On a possible tilt at the Arc, for which Paddy Power make her a 33-1 shot, Thompson added: “The dream is not dead, of course it’s not, and if the ground came up right you’ve got to consider it because you don’t get many shots at the Arc.

“We’ll have to sit down and have a think about it, see how the ground looks and how she comes out of this race and take it from there because you’ve got other options for her, but the Arc is a dream of course as we’ve never had a runner in it and we’d love to have runner, who wouldn’t?

“You’ve got the fillies and mares race at Ascot on Champions Day two weeks later, so you’d have to see how the field was shaping up for the Arc and everything else. Ascot would be a good option for her as the ground should come all right for her there, it normally does.”

O’Meara was similarly delighted with the performance of Estrange and is looking forward to campaigning her at Group One level, wherever that may be.

He said: “Take nothing away from Minnie Hauk as she was tough today and she was tough at the Curragh – it’s what she does best. But we’re delighted with our filly, I think she’s run a very good race and we’re very proud of her.

“I was starting to get a little bit excited when Danny loomed up. She’s a lot of class, how she can move up so easy in a race – it’s a great asset.

“I’ll speak to connections and see what they’d like to do. We had this race in mind for a long time, for a while it was looking in doubt with the way the weather was and the ground was, but we’ve taken a chance and based on how she’s ran I think we were justified in doing so.

“I wouldn’t rule out the Arc, why not (have a go)? The only two older fillies that have won this race in recent years have both won Arc – Enable and Alpinista.

“Our filly has run a very good race today on ground that I think isn’t her optimum and she deserves her spot in Group One company.”

Estrange camp hoping for rain ahead of Yorkshire Oaks

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Rain will have to fall at York if Estrange is to challenge Aidan O’Brien’s dominance in Thursday’s Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks, with Minnie Hauk and Whirl among four contenders for the Ballydoyle handler.

Estrange is one of just two British-trained contenders alongside Ed Walker’s Qilin Queen, with the other quartet all trained by O’Brien.

Minnie Hauk appears O’Brien’s chief hope after completing the English-Irish Oaks double at Epsom and the Curragh. Whirl, a neck behind her stablemate at Epsom and a dual Group One winner since, is also in the potential line-up alongside Garden Of Eden and Bedtime Story.

Minnie Hauk (left) defeats stablemate Whirl in the Oaks at Epsom
Minnie Hauk (left) defeats stablemate Whirl in the Oaks at Epsom (David Davies/The Jockey Club)

Estrange, trained by David O’Meara for owner-breeders Cheveley Park Stud, progressed through the levels to take the Listed Gillies Fillies’ Stakes at Doncaster last year before returning to action this term to win both the Lester Piggott Stakes and the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.

Her only defeat to date came on good to firm ground at Yarmouth last season and connections are hoping at least some rain falls over York as they look to chart a path to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp in October.

“It depends which forecast you look at, and I am probably guilty of looking at the one I want to look at rather than the one I don’t!” said Cheveley Park’s managing director Chris Richardson on the chance of rain at York.

“But she’s very well, a bit of ease in the ground would be helpful. She’s working well but this just happens to be a year of fast ground.

“We’re working back from the autumn so we will see how we go and how we plan from here on out.

“If she can’t run then there are some entries abroad we can look at, she’s in the Fillies & Mares (on Champions Day at Ascot) and obviously the Arc later in the year.”

Royal Fixation goes to post before the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket
Royal Fixation goes to post before the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket (Joe Giddens/PA)

Day two of the Ebor Festival kicks off with the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes, a Group Two event over six furlongs, for which 12 juvenile fillies have stood their ground.

Walker’s Royal Fixation, second by a neck to Venetian Sun in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes, heads the market, while Ryan Moore is booked to ride Richard Hughes’ 12-length Haydock winner America Queen.

George Scott’s Princess Margaret runner-up Staya is in the mix, as are Tim Easterby’s ultra-consistent Argentine Tango and Brian Ellison’s Wor Faayth.

Estrange on course for Yorkshire Oaks, with Paris on the horizon

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Estrange is poised to step up to Group One level at York next month.

The David O’Meara-trained four-year-old has been beaten only once in her five-race career to date and created a huge impression when winning the Group Three Lester Piggott Fillies’ Stakes at Haydock in a canter in May.

In fact so impressive was she that day, an entry made by owners Cheveley Park Stud for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe did not look too fanciful.

She returned to the Merseyside track for a more hard-fought success over Scenic in the Group Two Lancashire Oaks, and now a test of her credentials at the highest level awaits on the Knavesmire in the Yorkshire Oaks on August 21.

Estrange was in cruise control at Haydock in May
Estrange was in cruise control at Haydock in May (Martin Rickett/PA)

“She’s come out of the Lancashire Oaks great,” O’Meara said of his star filly.

“She hardly had a race really, it was a two-and-a-half-furlong dash that day really which turned into a sprint. She’s fine, she’s in good order.

Estrange is a best-priced 25-1 for Paris, although as short as 12-1 in a place, and O’Meara added: “York (is the next port of call) and if she carries on going well then the Arc de Triomphe is the ultimate goal.”

Estrange edges Lancashire Oaks verdict

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Red-hot favourite Estrange was made to pull out all the stops to see off Scenic in a thrilling renewal of the bet365 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.

The David O’Meara-trained Estrange had made a huge impression when landing the Group Three Lester Piggott Stakes over the course and distance in late May, with targets as lofty as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe being mentioned in the aftermath.

Carrying the colours of Cheveley Park Stud, the grey was a 2-7 favourite to follow up at Group Two level and while she managed to get the job done in the hands of Danny Tudhope, her supporters were made to sweat.

O’Meara told Racing TV: “Danny was caught in a position where the leader (Love Talk) went off and it’s a question of when do you go after them.

“Danny said she normally falls asleep in her races, but today she was trying to chase the leader a bit and didn’t quite drop the bit and ended up in front then a long time. It isn’t really how we’d like to play her, but it was a means to an end I guess.

“She’s four from five now and she’s won her Group Two today, so it’s brilliant.”

Just four runners went to post for the Merseyside feature, with rank outsider Love Talk taking the quartet along for much of the mile-and-a-half journey before Estrange was coaxed into the lead approaching the final two furlongs.

However, James Doyle covered the move aboard Ed Walker’s Scenic and following a final furlong tussle, Estrange found just enough to win the argument by a neck.

David O'Meara has Group One ambitions with Estrange
David O’Meara has Group One ambitions with Estrange (Mike Egerton/PA)

While the victory was harder work than many expected, Paddy Power reacted by cutting the winner’s Arc odds to 12-1 from 20-1.

“We were hoping we wouldn’t turn up on good to firm so the drop of rain helped. I don’t think she’s absolutely reliant on heavy ground or anything like that, she just doesn’t want to be running on very quick ground,” O’Meara added.

“The Yorkshire Oaks would be the next target and we’ve got five or six weeks until York.

“She’s very relaxed, she’s unbelievable. Today she wasn’t as relaxed as she normally is because of the way the race developed, but it’s fine.”

Estrange takes next step with Lancashire Oaks challenge

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Five weeks on from her scintillating seasonal debut on Merseyside, Estrange returns to Haydock for the bet365 Lancashire Oaks on Saturday.

A brilliant winner on her Goodwood introduction last summer, David O’Meara’s filly failed to fire in a Listed event at Yarmouth next time but bounced back in some style at Doncaster in November.

The Cheveley Park Stud-owned four-year-old was not even favourite for her reappearance in the Group Three Lester Piggott Stakes at the end of May, but breezed clear of her rivals in impressive fashion.

“We were heading to Haydock the last day with quite a bit of hope – we thought she was very good based on her homework,” said O’Meara.

“I thought she would see out a mile and a half and it made for pretty easy watching. She lobbed along and it was apparent in the straight, when a lot of the other fillies were coming under pressure, that when Danny (Tudhope) eased her out she looked like she was just doing a half-speed.

“It was a great sense of relief when she won as so much can go wrong in races and sometimes horses don’t live up to what we think of them, but she certainly lived up to expectations.

“The ease with which she won did take me a bit by surprise, but we did expect her to put up a good show.”

David O’Meara has high hopes for Estrange
David O’Meara has high hopes for Estrange (John Walton/PA)

Connections have made no secret of the regard in which Estrange is held, with targets as lofty as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe being mooted.

O’Meara added: “Amazing Maria was brilliant for us then we also had G Force, while Mondialiste gave me great satisfaction when we took him to Canada and he won the Woodbine Mile.

“Far more of those good horses end up in other yards, so we are very aware that we are very fortunate to have Estrange in the yard and Cheveley Park Stud have always been very supportive to us.”

Scenic impressed in the Bronte Cup at York
Scenic impressed in the Bronte Cup at York (Mike Egerton/PA)

Chief among Estrange’s rivals in Saturday’s Group Two feature is Ed Walker’s Scenic, winner of the Group Three Bronte Cup at York on her most recent outing and subsequently recruited by the powerful Wathnan Racing team.

Walker said: “It’s a small field and fingers crossed it should be a good opportunity for her.

“Her plan since last year has been the Bronte, the Lancashire Oaks and the Yorkshire Oaks. That was always the plan and we’re still well on track.”

Estrange heading to Haydock, with exciting options on the horizon

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Estrange will return to the happy hunting ground of Haydock for the bet365 Lancashire Oaks after connections decided to swerve the Pretty Polly Stakes.

The four-year-old ran out a most impressive winner of the Group Three Lester Piggott Fillies’ Stakes on her last outing in Merseyside at the end of May and will take her chance at Group Two level for the first time.

Trainer David O’Meara felt staying at a mile and a half on a course she knows will better suit the Cheveley Park Stud-owned grey, who is a best-priced 16-1 for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, such was the manner of her latest victory.

O’Meara said: “We did consider the Pretty Polly in Ireland for Estrange, but they missed a lot of the rain and I didn’t think there was a need to come back to 10 furlongs on quick ground.

“She won her last race quite easily at Haydock Park and it didn’t look like she had a hard race when she came in afterwards. She came home and ate up and was back into exercise two days later.

“It makes a lot of sense to go to Haydock Park as we have already been there and there are not the huge logistical arrangements that we would have faced to get over to Ireland.

“This looks a better fit for her and there appears to be the potential for a bit of rain as well which would help.

“There has been a lot of talk about her, but she doesn’t know that. When she gets out there hopefully it will be more of the same from her.

“Plenty of fillies have taken this race en route to Group One success so hopefully she turns up at Haydock Park at the weekend in the same form she has up to now.”

As well as the Arc, Estrange is among the leading contenders for the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, and O’Meara added: “As a yard, and a team, we are very excited, but we have to take every day as it comes as with racehorses 24 hours is a long time.

“We are very excited by her and hopefully she has got a few more good days in her yet.”