Interstellar Ready to Shine

The Informant writes:

A younger sister to an Oaks' winner, Interstellar has a lot to live up to as she prepares to make her raceday debut in tomorrow's Harcourts Blue Angels 1200 at Ruakaka.

A three-year-old filly by Shamoline out of Amathea, Interstellar is a half-sister to this year's Trentham heroine Savaria.

Interstellar was bought for $125,000 at the 2014 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka by a group of buyers that included Te Akau's David Ellis and Jamie Richards.

Raced by the Te Akau Interstellar Partnership, Interstellar finished third and fourth in her first two trials before impressively winning at Te Teko on August 4.

“It looks like she's got some of the family ability, we're definitely hoping so,” said Stephen Autridge, who trains the filly in partnership with Richards. “She's been improving with every trial and she's getting better and better. We have a lot of time for her.”

Interstellar has drawn badly at 12 for her 1200-metre debut with Matt Cameron in the saddle and Autridge expects her to improve on whatever she shows at the seaside track tomorrow. Like her sister, she is expected to step out over more distance later in the season. Savaria herself finished fifth over 1400 metres in her debut in October of her three-year-old season.

“Interstellar is certainly not slow, so if she had a better draw tomorrow we would have been more confident,” the Matamata trainer said. “But from an outside draw at Ruakaka you've got to go back. She'll be finding the line down the outside, that's what we're looking for. As long as she's finding the line strongly we'll know we're going the right way.

“More distance is also what she'll be looking for. With each race she runs she'll be looking for further. We're looking forward to trying her out over more ground later on.”

Big sister Savaria will be in action at another venue tomorrow, lining up in the Stella Artois 1400 at Hastings. It will be her first start since she ran sixth in the Gr. 1 Australian Oaks at Randwick in April, and it is intended to set her up for a bid at the Gr. 1 Windsor Park Plate and Livamol Classic later in the Hawke's Bay spring carnival.