It is not often that a horse drops in class but also drops in weight.
But that is the case facing Esta La Roca when she steps out in the Stow Storage Solutions Handicap (1000m) at Sandown on Saturday.
Returning from a break at Sandown on May 27, Esta La Roca carried second topweight of 59kg in the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1000m).
After showing her customary usual pace, Esta La Roca tired in the concluding stages to finish fourth, two lengths from the winner Pintoff.
Importantly on Saturday, Esta La Roca drops 3.5kg and meets runner-up Starry Legend on better weight terms.
With that first-up run under the belt, trainer Lloyd Kennewell expects Esta La Roca to be hard to beat on Saturday.
“I think she’s in good order,” Kennewell said.
“She has come on really well from her first-up run where she needed it as she had a good blow on the back end of it.
“She was really poorly weighted at Stakes level last time. She had 59 kilos and drops to 55-½ kilos, and she meets Starry legend 2-½ kilos better on Saturday.
“She’s back down in the weights where she needs to be and she’s actually down in grade and down in the weights.
“It’s quite strange and it shows how badly weighted she was last time in the Stakes race.”
Esta La Roca is in the twilight stages of her career and Kennewell is trying to add another win to her seven victories from 23 starts before retirement.
“If she happened to win tomorrow, she might bounce back into another Stakes race somewhere,” Kennewell said.
“She’s multiple Stakes placed, so it would be good to get a win for her at Stakes level, but at the end of the days she’s been a good filly, a good mare, and she’s done her job.
“She’s got a good record at Sandown and we’re happy with where she is at.
“I really think she’ll be thereabouts.”