A brilliant winner of the Group I VRC Myer Classic in the spring, quality I Am Invincible filly I Am a Star was again far too good for the older mares when scoring a scintillating win in the Group II MVRC Sunline Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday night. The Shane Nichols trained filly was ridden a heady race by Dean Yendall, driven forward from an outside gate to take up the lead in the 1600 metre feature. She led comfortably and relaxed in transit, before dropping her rivals cold at the top of the straight. I Am A Star behaved just like her name suggests, dashing away to win by more than three lengths in a commanding performance over French emotion, who she defeated in the Group I VRC Myer Classic. “When I asked her to quicken from the 600 metres there was no stopping her,” said Dean Yendall. “She let down really good, I was pretty excited!” The weather will decide just where I Am a Star heads to next. “I just want it to stop raining in Sydney,” said Shane Nichols. “She’s in the Doncaster and the Coolmore Legacy, but she won’t run on the heavy. It would have to be no worse than soft.” I Am a Star was a $40,000 Inglis Classic purchase for James Harron Bloodstock from the Broadwater Farm Thoroughbreds draft and has won six of 13 starts and over $900,000 in prizemoney for owner Matthew Sandblom of Kingstar Farm and Newgate Farm. I Am a Star was actually bred in New Zealand by Eales Racing and was sold at the NZB Weanling Sale for $12,000 out of the Rich Hill Stud draft before being sent to Australia for re-sale. A full sister to stakes-placed Band on the Run, I Am a Star is the third winner for Star Band (USA), a half-sister by Dixieland Band to Group III winner Common World from the family of Australian Group I winner Pear Tart. Like last Saturday’s Group I winner Russian Revolution, she also descends from superstar matriarch Fanfreluche, who is her fifth dam. Her sire I Am Invincible is poised for success at the 2017 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale with a stellar draft of 18.
(images Grant Courtney)
