2023 PB Lawrence Stakes Results: Cox Plate Hope Mr Brightside Salutes First-Up
Betting | Horse Racing Today | News | Race Results | Spring Racing | Winter Racing |The Ben, Will & JD Hayes-trained Cox...
Mornington trainer Shane Nichols had identified the Memsie Stakes 2017 as the likely first Group 1 target this spring for his Myer Classic winning filly I Am A Star.
The rising four-year-old daughter of I Am Invincible has amassed over $1 million in prize money over her 15 start career to date that has resulted in six wins, two seconds and two thirds.
She is best known for her successful Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival campaign last year that concluded with a Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m) win at Flemington over the older mares.
That followed a host of smart runs including the second to Global Glamour in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) as a $20 roughie.
Since her Myer Classic success I Am A Star has enjoyed two more wins completing the Group 2 Kewney Stakes (1400m) – Group 2 Sunline Stakes (1600m) double in March.
Her latest run was in Adelaide on May 6 where she ran a brave third beaten under two lengths at Morphettville behind Secret Agenda (1st) and Viddora (2nd) in the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m).
More effective over 1400m – 1600m, the Robert Sangster run was a top performance from the filly considering it was a sprint clash and Nichols is hopeful of his young star netting more Group 1 glory when out over her preferred distance this coming spring.
She has been back in work just over a week and is likely to kick things off in either the $150,000 Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) down the Flemington straight on August 12 or be saved for the following weekend’s $120,000 Listed Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
The first major assignment though is looking to be the $1 million Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 2 where I Am A Star would be shooting to be the first female winner of the weight-for-age feature since Atlantic Jewel (2013).
There are a host of later Group 1 spring races suitable for the proven Group 1 miler including the Toorak Handicap over the Caulfield mile in early October or prior to that, should I Am A Star be stepped out over further, the Underwood Stakes over 1800m.
Alternatively, should Nichols lean towards a trip to Sydney the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick.
I Am A Star has twice raced in Sydney finishing fifth to Foxplay in the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) last September on a Heavy (8) Randwick track.
It was also a rain-affected course at Randwick this April when the filly finished eight lengths back eighth to It’s Somewhat in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m).
To back I Am A Star over her spring prep at the right odds head to Ladbrokes.com.au now.
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