Two Group Ones in Seven Days for Aeliana (NZ)

Over the last two Saturdays, top-class Karaka graduate Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) has recorded two heart-stopping and spectacular triumphs at Group One level.

The four-year-old added Saturday's A$1.5m Kia Tancred Stakes (2400m) to her victory in the Ranvet Stakes (2000m) the previous weekend, both at Rosehill. Aeliana is now a triple Group One winner and has earned A$4.44m – almost 30 times her $180,000 purchase price.

Last Saturday she took almost all of the Rosehill home straight to overhaul her front-running stablemate Lindermann (Lonhro), and this time she had an even bigger mountain to climb.

World-class British raider Dubai Honour (Pride Of Dubai) has lowered the colours of the likes of Anamoe (Street Boss) and many other top-quality gallopers in his four previous Group One victories, and for most of the Tancred Stakes it looked like Aeliana would be added to that list.

There was an almost-insurmountable margin between them as Dubai Honour rounded the home turn with a commanding lead. For the majority of the home straight, it seemed that Aeliana had too much to do and wasn't going well enough to do it.

But jockey James McDonald kept urging her along, and Aeliana kept responding and kept lifting. She lengthened stride and clawed her way up alongside Dubai Honour in the final 100 metres, finally getting the better of him in the last few bounds to score a superb win. The third placegetter finished five lengths behind the first pair.

“I had to be pretty patient on her, because I learned a bit on her in the Ranvet the other day,” McDonald said. “Even though it wasn’t ideal letting them get so far in front, I had confidence that the mare would pick up down the straight. Once she balances up, she’ll find.

“Last time Nash (Rawiller on Lindermann) rode a terrific race and had me a little bit disorganised. I didn’t want that to happen today. Luckily we were on a superior horse. Credit to the runner-up, he gave us one hell of a fright.

“Around the 300-metre mark, I could feel her really building underneath me. I just felt if I went earlier and chased her, I would’ve been just out of my comfort zone. It was a chance I was willing to take, and I’m glad it paid off.”

Aeliana’s trainer Chris Waller was relieved to come out on the winning side after such an epic battle.

“It’s hard to beat a William Haggas-trained horse when they’re being set for a race, as Mr Haggas does,” he said.

“He shows us what training’s all about when he comes down here. We knew we had to be on top of our game.

”Full credit to Aeliana, she’s a proper horse. She puts herself in the race. She never let Dubai Honour get out of our sights. He threw the task at the 600-metre mark, probably a little bit earlier than what we liked, but James just cuddled her and fortunately she was strong to the line and we just got there in time.”

Aeliana is now unbeaten in two starts over 2400 metres – the other was last year’s Group One Australian Derby (2400m).

“It’s about trusting your gut instinct more than anything,” Waller said, explaining the back-up from the Ranvet Stakes. “Her winning the Derby last year was a big plus, so she’s won over the distance, so you’re not having to tick boxes.

“The only box we had to tick was the seven-day back-up. She’s eaten well, it’s been well publicised that she wasn’t a mature horse in the spring, and she’s come back a different horse now.

“She’ll be here for another two years after this, so that’s a lot of races to still look forward to.”

Aeliana was bred by Nearco Stud in partnership with Rich Hill Stud, who offered her in Book 1 of Karaka 2023. She was bought by Star Thoroughbreds for $180,000.

Vendor	Rich Hill Stud
Purchaser	Star Thoroughbreds (New South Wales)
Breeding	Castelvecchio – Temolie
Sale	Lot 582, Karaka 2023 Book 1, $180,000
Breeder	Nearco Stud Ltd & Rich Hill Thoroughbreds Ltd
Owner	Star Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd, Boeara Holdings, Mrs A M Howlett, Mrs K A Pailthorpe, Felgate Holdings, Paramount Racing, Mr R B T Aurisch, Mrs D M Handley, Mr W A Smith, Mr B K Hudson, EST JA Hudson, Forbson Group