Castelvecchio filly wins the G3 Carbine Club Stakes
At her 5th start, Aeliana (purple, white stars & cap) wins the Carbine Club S. G3 at Flemington. It was the first of three wins on Derby Day for the Chris Waller/James McDonald combination. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
Castelvecchio’s gifted daughter Aeliana opened Derby Day at Flemington with an easy-as-you-please, 3.5 length victory for her Star Thoroughbreds owners in the $500,000 VRC Carbine Club S. 1600m G3.
It’s the 5th stakes win on Castelvecchio’s record in 22 days, following successes by El Castello (Spring Champion S. G1 & Gloaming S. G3), Double Market (Moonee Valley Fillies Classic G2) and Aeliana (Reginald Allen S. LR).
Aeliana is the 5th Arrowfield-sired winner of the race and her champion trainer Chris Waller’s fourth Carbine Club Stakes success in 10 years.
Her Spring 3YO campaign draws comparison with that of her elite stablemate Fangirl, who also won the Reginald Allen and then the Carbine Club Stakes by a similar margin before progressing to three Group 1 victories.
It’s the perfect start for @mcacajamez 🌟
He opens his 2024 #MelbCupCarnival account with victory in the Channel 9 Carbine Club Stakes atop AELIANA.
🎥 @wwos | #DerbyDay | #MelbCupCarnival pic.twitter.com/A1QxokXq3u
— Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) November 2, 2024
Chris Waller said, “It’s been a great race for us over the years, just learning about horses and giving them some confidence. I think we might have just touched on Fangirl three years ago and what she did. She was an unearthed star and she’s gone through to being one of the best in Australia, so hopefully [Aeliana] can follow in her footsteps.”
He confirmed that Aeliana will go to the $1.5 million Thousand Guineas G1 at Caulfield on 16 November. “Today, she’s beaten the boys, so she’ll go back and face the girls. It’s a good process to try and get a horse up in the grade each time they race and she’s made that right step today.”
Aeliana is the second foal of Temolie (by Star Witness), purchased in foal to Castelvecchio for $200,000 from Edinburgh Park Stud at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale by the filly’s breeders Nearco Stud & Rich Hill Stud.
Offered under Rich Hill’s banner in Book 1 of the 2023 Karaka Yearling Sale, Aeliana was secured for $180,000 by syndicator Denise Martin who had already enjoyed great success with her family. Temolie is a half-sister to Star Thoroughbreds’ Group 1 winner & $3 million earner Invincibella, as well as Group winner Secret Blaze and Listed winner Extreme Flight.
However, the strength of this female family goes beyond the scope of a standard pedigree page. Aeliana traces to the wonderful New Zealand mare Queen Of Song whose 11 wins during the 1930s included the Wellington Cup and the C.B. Fisher Plate (now Queen Elizabeth S. G3) at Flemington.
Other notable performers among Queen Of Song’s descendants are the Australian champion colts Taras Bulba & Starcraft, stakes-winning fillies Zephyr Magic, Forum Floozie, Taciturn, Tell All, Top Secret & Entrancing, and Australian stayers The Hind (Adelaide Cup G1) and Oregon Star (Geelong Cup LR). A branch of this family has been highly successful in South Africa, producing Group 1 winner Happy Valentine and Group winners Dahlia’s Legacy, Happy Heiress, Happy Harriet & Happy Spirit – all of them fillies.
As for Castelvecchio, his 20 Australian runners this season have now earned $2.4 million, and he consolidates his status as the leading Second Season Sire currently standing in Australia.
