Essington missed a vital lead-up run for the Listed National Sprint in Canberra on March 11 when the Eagle Farm meeting was abandoned on Saturday.

The Tony Edmonds trained gelding was due to defend his LR Falvelon Hcp crown before the meeting was washed out.  “I will barrier trial him on Tuesday and then head for Canberra,” Edmonds told AAP.  “But I haven’t decided whether he will run in Sydney on the way through.”

Essington (5g Redoute’s Choice – Besame Mucho by Encosta De Lago) failed to win a maiden in Victoria before Team Williams sold him for $50,000 to Townsville painting contractor Merino Katsanvas.  He has since won 9 races in 18 starts for over $260,000.

The former Victorian is from G3 STC Research Stakes winner Besame Mucho and was originally purchased for $150,000 by Nick Williams from the Princes Farm draft at the 2008 Inglis Easter yearling sale.  His dam is a sister to G3 VRC Vanity Stakes winner Gold Lottey.

Essington is one of 83 stakes winners by Arrowfield champion Redoute’s Choice.  Three of them are out of Encosta De Lago mares – Essington, globetrotting G1 winner Musir and LR Blue Diamond Prelude winner Beneteau.

Beneteau stood his first season alongside Redoute’s Choice at Arrowfield last year when he covered 108 mares at an $11,000 fee.