Chris Waller and James McDonald kicked off the Flemington Melbourne Cup Carnival with a dazzling victory in the Group III VRC Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) for progressive Castelvecchio filly Aeliana.
Aeliana cruises home alone - image Grant Courtney
Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds had much racetrack excitement and financial reward from the Waller trained Group I winning mare Invincibella and the familiar purple and white stars are carried by Aeliana, who is closely related to the $3million earner.
Aeliana was coming off a last start win in the Group III ATC Reginald Allen Stakes (1400m) at Randwick and franked the strength of that form when powering away from her rivals to win by a commanding three and a half lengths.
Winn
ing the Reginald Allen and then the Carbine Club Stakes is the early path followed by another Waller stable star in Fangirl, so there will no doubt be high hopes for what Aeliana can achieve as her career unfolds.
“Brilliant performance,” McDonald said. “She’s a promising filly. She executed well and came with a well-timed run, and she was too good.
“She actually sprung the lids beautifully, so she could have easily taken up a more prominent position. But I took her back and then chimed in after turning for home, and she was way too good.
“I think she’s a very good filly. She presented like a winner. I saw the favourite (Feroce) get a perfect spot with cover, but he was coming off a peak performance and probably didn’t run as well as he could, but my filly’s been on an upward spiral. I don’t think it would’ve mattered where I was in the race.”
Aeliana will be given a crack at G1 level for her next start in the MRC Thousand Guineas (!600m).
She’s a talented filly,” Waller said.
“She won well in Sydney last start, and she’s brought that Sydney form to Melbourne.
“The Thousand Guineas is a Group One for her own sex. She’s beaten the boys today, so she’ll go back to the girls next start. It's all part of a process to try and get a horse up in the grade each time they race, and she's made that right step forward today.”
A $180,000 Karaka Book 1 purchase for Star Thoroughbreds from the Rich Hill Stud draft, Aeliana has a pedigree that suggests longer distances will be within her scope as she matures with her pedigree featuring an intriguing double cross of both Sadler’s Wells and Zabeel.
Aeliana has the overall record of three wins from five starts with prizemoney topping $470,000.
Aeliana and her owners celebrate - image Grant Courtney
She is the first winner for Temolie, a half-sister by Star Witness to Group I winner Invincibella, Group III winner Secret Blaze and stake-winner Extreme Warrior, who stands at Rosemont Stud in Victoria.
Temolie was bought by Rich Hill Stud at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for $200,000 in foal to Castelvecchio with Aeliana the result of the mating. Temolie has produced two fillies for Rich Hill Stud by their champion sire Proisir including a yearling that sold at K1 this year for $250,000 to Ciaron Maher / TFI and is back in foal to him again.
Aeliana continues the hot run for Dundeel’s dual Group I winning son Castelvecchio, who stands at Arrowfield at a fee of $22,000.
