Aeliana Shines as a Star from Day One

[Wandering Eyes]

Denise Martin didn’t need to be asked twice when Chris Waller called her about a potential yearling purchase out of New Zealand in early 2023.

For starters, Waller and the Star Thoroughbreds managing director have formed a formidable combination on the track, teaming up with G1 winners Espiona, Foxplay and Invinciella.

Incidentally, the filly in question was closely related to Star’s pin-up mare Invincibella and came highly recommended by Waller’s bloodstock consultant Guy Mulcaster.

Lot 582 at the NZB Karaka Yearling Sale was a daughter of first-season sire Castelvecchio and out of the Star Witness mare Tremolie – a half-sister to Invincibella.

Martin was sold on the idea before she’d opened the catalogue.

On Saturday, the filly – now named Aeliana(NZ) (Castelvecchio) – will chase a G1 win at just her sixth start when she lines up as favourite in the Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield.

For Martin, it’s a case of being rewarded for trusting her relationship with Waller and his faith Mulcaster.

“Chris works with renowned yearling selector Guy Mulcaster and Chris phoned me to say that Guy had recommended this filly to the stable,” Martin said.

“He said she was a close relation to Invincibella and I just said ‘yes please’.

“Once I had a look at the catalogue and saw who she was, I was very keen to buy her.

“She (Invincibella) was one of our great banner mares who did a great job for Star Thoroughbreds over several seasons.

“Invincibella was quite a tall filly and developed throughout her three-year-old year and into the autumn as an imposing individual.

“This filly wont eventually be that big but she certainly seems ot have a very similar motor.

“I would say Aliana, although still a bit physically immature she seems to be able to handle the pressure mentally and she has progressed to this level at a quicker pace than what Invincibella did.”

Invincibella won 12 races and more than $3 million in prizemoney for her connections, several of whom bought shares in Aeliana.

The daughter of I Am Invincible broke her maiden as a spring three-year-old and was Stakes-placed twice in that campaign before really hitting her straps in her four-year-old season.

Martin said she expected Aeliana to develop at a similar rate, given she is from the first crop of a 2000m G1 winner, although the filly is mentally more mature at the same stage of her career.

Victory in the Saturday’s coveted three-year-old classic would be a quarter of a century in the making for Martin and Star Thoroughbreds.

The syndicator’s original banner horse Danglissa started 13-4 favourite but was denied in a photo finish by Shizu in the 1999 Thousand Guineas and Martin has been keen to atone ever since.

“On the day when Danglissa ran second, Gai and I landed at the airport in Melbourne and there’d been a really bad storm,” she said.

“I remember Gai said to Chris Munce that it would probably be best to stay off the fence.

“If I recall, it was Jim Cassidy who rode the winner and he hugged the fence and by the time Danglissa had balanced up and found the line, it was pretty close but she just missed.

“It was the right call to want to stay off the fence because back then, the Thousand Guineas was still on the middle day of the three-day carnival so the track had already had plenty of use.

“In the 32 years I’ve had my business I’ve never thought that a win was a fait accompli but there are a lot of reasons to think that Aeliana can go to Caulfield and run very well.”

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