Celestial Wonder-Ful

Overcoming the outside gate, Celestial Wonder (4 m Xtravagant – Meteoric Lass, by Stratum) resumed with victory in the $55,000 Sistema Rating 75 1200 metres on Saturday at Ellerslie.

An impressive Maiden winner and second in Listed O’Leary’s Fillies' Stakes last season, Celestial Wonder won the 3YO 1100 metres in May at Ellerslie, and had since recorded two strong seconds in trials on the course - so while the form rated her a top three chance, the draw (14) appeared daunting.

With stable rider Opie Bosson ONZM aboard, who was successful earlier on the programme, Celestial Wonder whistled forward from her wide gate to lead after 200m. She then proceeded to stride freely at a genuine pace and after cornering sweetly into the straight, she found plenty to hold the rivals at bay.

“She probably went too fast early and I was a bit of a passenger for a while, but she’s got some ability and it was good effort first-up to run right to the line,” Bosson said.

“She was having a look around coming up the straight and the ears were pricked, but she’s pretty fast and can measure up against the better sprinters as she gets stronger.”

It was a very good effort by a mare that now has three wins and three seconds from seven starts, and indicated she has what it takes to measure up in sprinting stakes races. 

The quality of the performance was reflected in the time: 1:10.6 and last 600m in 34.3 for 1200 metres on Soft5 footing, and she paid $2.80 & $1.70 on the NZ TAB tote after opening at $5.00 & $2.05 fixed odds. 

“It’s very hard to do what she did from the outside barrier and still win like that, so it was a very good first-up effort,” said Mark Walker, training partner with Sam Bergerson.

“She was challenged over the last 100m, but dug deep and I was very proud of her effort. She’s going well and has the potential to win a very nice race this season.”

Owned by the Te Akau Beyond The Stars Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Celestial Wonder was bred by David Ellis CNZM, who purchased her dam, Meteoric Lass, for A$50,000 as a yearling at the 2016 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Kitchwin Hills.

The winner of three races to 1400 metres, Meteoric Lass won fresh-up as both a three and four-year-old, and became the fifth individual winner from Benatar (Distant Music), a half-sister to dual stakes' winner Meteoroid (Northern Meteor), who scored eight times over 1200m/1400m in Australia.

Adding to the pedigree, her dam sire Stratum (Redoute’s Choice) won the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m).

Ellis also purchased the sire of Celestial Wonder, Xtravagant (Pentire) as yearling at Karaka - the dual Group 1 winner included a record-breaking (1:33.5) win in the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas (1600m), winning by eight lengths, a margin he replicated when winning the Group 1 BCD Sprint at Te rapa, before going on to stand at Newhaven Park Stud, N.S.W.

“She was an impressive winner early in her three-year-old season and it’s great to have another homebred filly that is showing good ability,” Ellis said. “She showed a lot of ticker to win today.

“She’s another homebred filly that we’ve syndicated amongst our owners and she’s doing a good job.

“Also, another win too for Opie (Bosson), who is fit and riding very well and he's had a great start to the season. The riding ranks are strong and it’s good for racing overall. 

“We’d bought the mare (Meteoric Lass) and sent her over to be served by Xtravagant. She’s since been served three times by Cool Aza Beel and they’re getting to racing age. 

“We’re a big fan of Newhaven Park and the Kelly family that owns and runs it. They’re fantastic breeders and they stand two stallions from Te Akau, Xtravagant and Cool Aza Beel.

“We’re fortunate to have bred some nice horses from mares we’ve got on the farm. We’ve had the Champion Two-Year-Old and Group 1 winner Maven Belle (Burgundy); Group 1 NZ Oaks winner Belle En Rouge (Burgundy), who also won the NZB Filly of the Year title; South Island Champion Two-Year-Old Nucleozor (Almanzor), and stakes' performer Burgundy Rose (Burgundy) who won eight races and was nine times runner up.

Celestial Wonder was strapped by Pieter Van Rooyen. 

Photo credit - Kenton Wright - www.raceimages.co.nz