Shamus Award Mare Quintessa Cracks $1million in Prizemoney

Karaka graduate Quintessa (NZ) (Shamus Award) became a millionaire and a dual Group One winner with a stunning last-to-first performance in the $400,000 Group One Proisir Plate (1400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Te Akau principal David Ellis bought Quintessa for $170,000 from Wentwood Grange’s draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2022. She has now had 19 starts for six wins, four placings and $1.052m in prize-money – more than six times her purchase price.

Quintessa won the Group One Levin Classic (1600m) two seasons ago, headlining a three-year-old campaign that also produced a spring black-type victory in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1600m). She went on to further spring success in 2024, capturing the Group Three Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield almost exactly a year ago. But her form fell away in the remainder of her four-year-old season.

Quintessa was back at her brilliant best on Saturday. She was ridden by Rory Hutchings, who eased her to the back of the field. That was where they stayed for most of the race, and they could still see all 15 of their rivals as they rounded the home turn.

But as things bunched right up closer to the rail early in the home straight, Hutchings switched to the outside and let Quintessa rip. The five-year-old flew home out wide on the track, bounding to the lead in the last 100 metres and clearing out to win by a length and a half.

“The plan was to go back today and try to ride for luck,” Hutchings said. “But it got a little bit messy through the middle stages and I decided I’d be better off keeping her out of trouble and getting to the outside. She went past them in a few strides. That was electric.”

Quintessa is trained by Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, who were thrilled to see the quality mare back in top form on the big stage.

“That was incredible,” Bergerson said. “It was a very patient ride. We left it up to Rory. I asked him what he thought, and he said, ‘I’ll go back and will probably ride for luck,’ but then he ended up going the widest.

“I was actually watching our other mare Qali Al Farrasha (NZ) (Almanzor) for most of the straight, and then at the last minute, she was flashing and we started really screaming.

“She’s come back in fantastic order from Australia. We were quietly confident coming into today, without being overconfident with the quality of the field. But she’s a fantastic mare and it’s great to see her back in form.

“It’s special to get this win with my parents here today, and awesome to do it at Ellerslie. We’ve had a bit of a frustrating day until now, just being edged out in the three-year-old races and having a couple of disappointments, but that’s racing. It’s a great leveller.

“I’m really stoked and just taking it all in and pinching myself, really.”