Martin King's (www.sportpix.com.au) shot of Quintessential and Damian Browne at the business end of last Saturday's Queensland Oaks.

We’ve had quite a journey with Quintessential, the brave winner of last Saturday’s Queensland Oaks-Gr.1.

I first laid eyes on her at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2010 Karaka Select Sale.  She was offered by Trelawney Stud and while I had been to the farm pre-sale to see a few of the yearlings, I hadn’t asked to view this particular filly.  Quintessential was super-elegant in my eyes as a yearling.  She oozed quality and I gave her a high rating to my client on the eve of her selling.  I remember distinctly the battle to secure her in the selling arena.  Steve Brem, a kiwi who operates successfully from an Australian base, liked her as much as me and made the task of buying her difficult.  In the end the price was $70,000, enough to pay for any filly at the Select Sale, specially one by a first season sire (Fast ‘n’ Famous).

It’s been quite a journey since.  I won’t bore you with the details, but three significant events stand out.  When she was a 2YO John Sargent phoned me to say the filly was “continually sore”.  We took her to the Matamata Equine Hospital; she had a bone scan & thankfully it revealed nothing apart from immaturity issues.  She had a good spell and put those problems behind her.  The second thing which stands out in my mind was her win in the Desert Gold Stakes-Gr.3 (1600m) at Trentham.  It was truly breath-taking.  Near last at the turn and flashing home with strides I didn’t think she had the ability to take.  It was a telling sign of what was ahead.  The third thing which will forever stick out in my mind is the agony the camp went through last week leading up to the race.  We were desperate for a good draw & got it.  We were desperate for a good track & instead got torrential rain!  I have to admit that I was anything but confident at post time, though in the back of my mind I knew we had a very fit horse & and the ideal lead-up form.

I call Quintessential ‘Quizzical’; it’s a long story but one I hope to write about in the future if she keeps adding Group One victories to her name.  The next test, hopefully, is Saturday’s Queensland Derby-Gr.1 before a well-deserved break.

Thank you, Quizzical, you’re a gem.  AC