Star Struck

Interstellar (3 f Shamoline Warrior - Amathea, by O'Reilly) took a giant leap towards upcoming stakes races when running out an impressive four and a half length winner of the Graeme Thomson Antique Jewellery 1300 metres in the 50^th year for the Taupo Racing Club.

Capitalizing on barrier one for jockey Matt Cameron, Interstellar travelled on a nice rein in front passing the 800m, stacked the field of fourteen to the 600m, and found another gear to distance her rivals in the straight.

“She was doing handstands the whole way,” said Cameron. “I thought it would be a lot harder for her to win, given the field she was up against, and I was looking around thinking ‘where are these guys'.

On footing rated Dead5, the 1300 metres was covered in 1:18.6, last 600m 35.5, and Interstellar paid $6.00 & $2.00 on the NZ TAB.

Owned by Gary Lui, Jim & Pauline Hepburn, and David Ellis, Interstellar was purchased by Ellis for $125,000 from the draft of Bradbury Park, after she breezed up stylishly in 10.6 seconds, at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale last November.

“I immediately took a great liking to the pedigree,” said Ellis. “She's from a family I've had a lot of time for and although we had to go higher than intended I realised after the sale that Roydon Bergeson was also trying to buy her because he trained the half-sister Savaria (Savabeel) who went on to win the New Zealand Oaks (Gr. 1, 2400m) in March this year at Trentham.

“So this is a very valuable filly already and all going well we will see her at Riccarton in November for the 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m).

“I'm thrilled for the owners,” said Ellis. “Jim and Pauline Hepburn have a lot of nice horses with us and Gary Lui, an airline pilot based in Hong Kong, is also a very good client of the stable."

Interstellar had followed a smart trial win with a top debut performance for second in the Maiden 1200 metres on August 29 at Ruakaka, with her nemesis Royal Raine (Thorn Park) contesting the Canterbury Belle Stakes (Listed, 1200m) on Saturday (Sept. 19) at Riccarton.

“She was very impressive,” said co-trainer Stephen Autridge.

“She learnt a lot from Ruakaka, where she had the race won everywhere but the last few strides, and we will try and make her into a 1000 Guineas filly now.

Autridge, who prepares the team with Jamie Richards, suggested the Soliloquy Stakes (Listed, 1400m) on October 23 at Ellerslie could be an ideal stepping stone before heading south.

“We've already got a couple of fillies down south, so we'll stay up north with her,” said Autridge.

Ellis said: “Her family includes Levin Classic (Gr. 1, 1600m) winner Eileen Dubh, Fiveandahalfstar (Hotel Grand), winner of the Victoria Derby (Gr. 1, 2500m) and BMW (Gr. 1, 2400m), and the Moore family going back to their foundation mare Soliloquy (So Big) is one of the best performing families in New Zealand”.

A good touch with the fillies, David Ellis purchased Princess Coup (Encosta De Lago), the winner of $4.2m in stakes, to win the NZ Oaks in 2007. Named New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year, Princess Coup became one of five fillies to claim the title for Te Akau: along with King's Rose (Redoute's Choice), Costa Viva (Encosta De Lago - also an Ellis purchase), Insouciant (Keeper) and Shikoba (Chief Bearhart).

And, Interstellar joins a band of talented three-year-old fillies that could add to that list when the NZ Oaks culminates the Filly of the Year Races on March 19 next year.

Picture credit - www.raceimages.co.nz