A Group 1 winner last season at three, top class I Am Invincible mare I Am a Star burst back to top form with a bold front running win at Moonee Valley on Friday night to win the Group II MVRC Stocks Stakes over Hinchinbrook mare Flying Jess.
Fit and ready to rumble at her fourth run back from a spell, the Shane Nichols trained mare sped to the lead for Ben Melham and kept rolling to the line to win the 1600 metre feature by more than a length from the late closer Flying Jess.
“It was terrific to see her win,” said Nichols.
“I felt she’d been going well, but you need to see them come out and win.
“We’ll look to the Toorak (Group I over 1600 metres at Caulfield) and then back to Flemington.”
I Am a Star will be looking to defend her win in the Group I VRC Myer Classic which she won last spring as a three year-old filly against the older mares.
I Am a Star was a $40,000 Inglis Classic purchase for James Harron Bloodstock from the Broadwater Farm Thoroughbreds draft and has won seven of 19 starts and over $1.1 million 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.
I Am A Star made it a Group double at Moonee Valley for her sire I Am Invincible, who succeeded earlier in the night with flying sprinter Houtzen.
He went very close to a Group race treble with his speedy mare Viddora beating all but Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign to finish a close second in the Group I MVRC Moir Stakes.
Race replay courtesy of Racing.com
