Unbeaten filly Esha has hit a Group 1 roadblock after being named the sole emergency for Saturday’s Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley.
The Shane Nichols trained three-year-old was squeezed out of the final 15-horse line-up when acceptances closed on Tuesday for the $750,000 weight-for-age sprint. The Moir has not attracted a full field since Nature Strip’s win in 2019.
Despite the setback, Nichols remains confident in Esha’s talent and confirmed alternate plans are in place.
“Whether she gets a run or not Saturday, I think she’s a pretty nice filly,” Nichols told racing.com. “If she goes back to three-year-old grade in the Atlantic Jewel or the Cap D’Antibes, she is going to be competitive.”
A $900,000 yearling by Extreme Choice out of Nichols’ former Group 1-winning mare I Am A Star, Esha has looked every bit a potential star in her two starts after winning on debut in Adelaide in May and following up with an all-the-way victory at The Valley on August 9.
Esha was one of only two three-year-olds to accept for the Moir, alongside New Zealand’s La Dorada.
While connections await a potential scratching to see if Esha gains a run in the Moir, attention now shifts to her likely participation in the Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m) this Saturday or the Cap D’Antibes Stakes at Flemington the following weekend.
Mornington Jump Out 1 | Esha
Look at her go! The impressive last-start winner was in full flight this morning & the Group 1 Moir Stakes is still on her radar… 🔥
REPLAYS: https://t.co/KfbpGZtlw6 pic.twitter.com/WSc0Dh0YbH
— Racing.com (@Racing) August 26, 2025
