Esteban odds-on to continue winning run

Esteban

THE John Sargent-trained Esteban has gone from winning a maiden to winning in Saturday grade in only three starts, and it’s odds-on to repeat the dose this Saturday.

A three-year-old by Encosta De Lago, Esteban wasn’t overly impressive in its first five career starts, recording only one placing, but it’s last three wins have signaled the arrived of a potential superstar stayer.

It won back-to-back races at Beaumont by a combined margin of 14.3 lengths before producing one of the best performances this season by winning at Rosehill by 6.8 lengths. A couple of gear changes was enough to change its fortunes according to Sargent.

“He’d always shown so much working but he was missing the jump in his early starts and that didn’t change until he went to Kembla second-up this preparation,” Sargent said.

“Then a couple of runs later I took him off to Newcastle, put the hood on and that was it.

“That was the first time he fully concentrated, his confidence started to grow and he’s continued to grow in confidence in each start since.”

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Esteban will line up in the Schweppes Benchmark 82 Handicap on Saturday and Sargent doesn’t believe the rise in class will be a worry.

“This is a similar step up on Saturday,” Sargent said. “The race is about 10 (rating) points up but that was what I asked him to do last start.

“At this stage he’s doing everything in very exciting fashion but you have to keep it real and Saturday I’m asking another question.

“The further and the higher he goes the harder it becomes but he seems as good as he’s been.

“His blood is good, he galloped well on Tuesday and he did a bit of schooling this morning.

“Everything has been the same going into Saturday as it’s been going into his last few runs so I’m looking forward to the weekend.”

Esteban is currently a $1.70 chance at Sportsbet.com.au and although there has been talks about it starting in the spring, Sargent will likely wait till 2017.

“After Saturday it will either be have another run to get more ratings points or time for a break I’d say,” Sargent said.

“You could back off and go for the spring but he’s a three-year-old gelding so time is on our side.

“I’d prefer not to chase the spring, spell him and look for something later on. The spring will be on again next year.”

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