Sunshine Coast Stakes Double for Reliable Man

Media Release - Saturday May 6

It was a big day at the Sunshine Coast for Westbury Stud's Reliable Man (GB) with Renaissance Woman storming into Queensland Oaks favouritism and Essonne claiming her first Black Type win.

Read about Renaissance Woman here.

Promising New Zealand-bred mare Essonne picked up the sixth and most significant win of her career with a barnstorming finish in Saturday’s Listed Attwood Marshall Lawyers Silk Stocking (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast.

Essonne bolts home at the Sunshine Coast Photo Credit: Grant Peters

Trained by Richard Litt for owner-breeder Gerry Harvey, the daughter of Reliable Man had shown promise with wins from five of her first nine starts, but none had been above Benchmark 72 level.

Essonne was then unplaced in her next two appearances, finishing well back in the Provincial Championships Final (1400m) at Randwick before an unlucky last-start fourth at Warwick Farm.

She stepped up to stakes level for the first time in her career on Saturday, and the four-year-old immediately showed that she belonged.

Ridden patiently by Chad Schofield, Essonne dropped back to third-last in a 16-horse field before producing an irresistible finish down the Sunshine Coast straight to score by a length and a quarter.

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“It's great to get the job done,” Litt said. “She'd been a bit luckless her last two starts. I'm very pleased for Gerry (Harvey) and Luke (McDonald, Harvey’s bloodstock and racing manager).

“We had originally planned to take her back home after this race, but we'll have a chat with Gerry and Luke and see if we stay up here for a bit.

“She's a very talented horse, even though there's not much of her. With a bit of a spell, I think she'll come back even better next prep.

“She's bred to stay, so I think she'll get up to 1800m eventually, which would be quite exciting. She loved the wide open spaces here today and Chad did a wonderful job with her. He rode her fantastically, and a big thanks to Billy Healey, who has been looking after her for us.”

Reliable Man (GB) had a stakes double at the Sunshine Coast.

The 21st individual stakes winner for Westbury Stud stallion Reliable Man, Essonne is out of the Redoute’s Choice mare Riviere. Herself a three-time winner over sprint distances, Riviere is a half-sister to the Group Two winners First Command and Oneworld.

Essonne is the first winner from two foals to race out of Riviere, who has subsequently produced a colt by Swiss Ace and a filly by Telperion. – NZ Racing Desk

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Race Result - Attwood Marshall Silk Stocking LR 1400m

Sunshine Coast Track: Good(4) Time: 1:23.20
1
Essonne
- 4m Reliable Man (GB) x Riviere (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: Richard Litt Rdr: C Schofield 54.5
2
0.5
Renouf
- 6m Street Boss (USA) x Flying Tessie (AUS) (Testa Rossa (AUS))
Tnr: P P Jenkins Rdr: Jaden Lloyd 54
3
1.0
Tycoon Evie
- 5m Written Tycoon (AUS) x Winaura (AUS) (Show A Heart (AUS))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: J B Mc Donald 58
4
1.5
Tick Tock Queen
- 4m Bel Esprit (AUS) x Costa Mesa (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Tom Sherry 54
5
1.8
Love Sensation
- 5m Night Of Thunder (IRE) x Ithacan Queen (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Angela Jones 54
6
1.9
Dzsenifer
- 5m Scissor Kick (AUS) x Phaedra (AUS) (Hussonet (USA))
Tnr: G R Duncan Rdr: Ms N Beriman 55
7
2.7
Katalin
- 6m Medaglia D'Oro (USA) x Kanzan (AUS) (Commands (AUS))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: Ms G Cartwright 54
8
3.2
Wonderful Riri
- 7m Barbados (AUS) x Tsarina Wonder (AUS) (Churchill Downs (AUS))
Tnr: S O'Dea & M Hoysted Rdr: Ben Thompson 54
9
3.3
Osmose
- 4m Zoffany (IRE) x Meseika (USA) ( ())
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: Tim Clark 54
10
4.1
Adelase
- 6m Poet's Voice (GB) x Aliyda (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: B S Baldwin Rdr: Madeleine Wishart 54
11
4.6
Ravaged Award
- 4m Shamus Award (AUS) x Ravaged Heart (AUS) (Show A Heart (AUS))
Tnr: M A Currie Rdr: J Byrne 54
12
4.7
Fashchanel
- 6m I Am Invincible (AUS) x Elegant Fashion (AUS) (Danewin (AUS))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham Rdr: S T Collett 54
13
4.8
Media Award
- 5m Shamus Award (AUS) x Music Media (AUS) (More Than Ready (USA))
Tnr: G A Thornton Rdr: Damien Thornton 57
14
4.9
Valley Of Dreams
- 6m Falvelon (AUS) x Valley Of Success (AUS) (Monashee Mountain (USA))
Tnr: Chris Munce Rdr: M R Du Plessis 54
15
5.2
Miss Baltimore
- 5m Starspangledbanner (AUS) x Invited (AUS) (Iglesia (AUS))
Tnr: B J Dais Rdr: Ashley Morgan 54
16
5.7
Miss Einstein
- 7m Dundeel (NZ) x Simply Brilliant (AUS) (Starcraft (NZ))
Tnr: Sam Kavanagh Rdr: Taylor Marshall 54
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