Estijaab nails Golden start

THEY say Golden Slippers can be won or lost at the start. This is where Estijaab won it.

Estijaab showed blinding speed out of barrier 14, crossing the field to find the inside rail within 300m. She was never headed.

It was a special win. Only the Slipper greats Todman, Vain, Manikato and Dance Hero have led all the way.

Estijaab, trained by Team Hawkes, became the first filly to achieve the feat, defying her chasing rivals to win the $3.5 million Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) before a bumper crowd of 21,628 at Rosehill Gardens yesterday.

Racing legend John Hawkes, now a four-time winner of the world’s richest juvenile race, said he has never trained a faster horse out of the gate.

“Her gate speed is unbelievable, it’s her greatest asset,’’ he said.

But even Hawkes, who trains in partnership with his sons Wayne and Michael, could sense the irony.

The stable has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in recent weeks as their champion sprinter Chautauqua became the sport’s recalcitrant racehorse; simply refusing to leave the gates in four successive barrier trials.

“The next time with Chautauqua we are going to put Estijaab and the grey together in the barriers to see if he can follow her out!’’ Hawkes said.

“You get some highs and plenty of lows in racing and you just have to work through it. Today is one of those highs.’’

For only the third time in Golden Slipper history, the fillies ran the trifecta, with Estijaab ($8.50) holding off Oohood ($17) by a long-head, with favourite Sunlight ($5) 1¼ lengths away third. Written By was the first of the colts home in fourth.