via ANZ Bloodstock News – 6 April 2025 – Lydia Symonds

Chris Waller and Denise Martin were convinced they had a superstar among their ranks in the shape of AELIANA (NZ) (by Castelvecchio) and on Saturday that early judgement was vindicated when she produced a performance for the ages to become the tenth filly to win Randwick’s time-honoured Classic, the Group 1 ATC Derby over 2,400 metres.

A dual Group 3 winner in the spring, AELIANA’s connections have not been afraid to test her and if the filly’s campaigning this preparation is anything to go by, they always believed she would deliver a Group 1 triumph.
Such was their unwavering faith, she has been pitted against the males throughout this preparation, finishing third first-up in the Hobartville Stakes (Group 2 over 1,400 metres), fourth in the Randwick Guineas (Group 1 over 1,600 metres) and second in the Rosehill (Group 1 over 2,000 metres) equivalent.

The last time she was kept to contests for her own sex was when she finished runner-up, beaten 0.4 lengths by Another Prophet in the Thousand Guineas (Group 1 over 1,600 metres) at Caulfield in November.

Ridden by Damian Lane for the first time, AELIANA (NZ) showed her appreciation for the step up in trip on Saturday, flying home to demolish a field of 17 male rivals. Barely coming off the bridle, she cruised across the line 5.2 lengths ahead of the second-placed Firm Agreement (Yes Yes Yes). Shanwah (Too Darn Hot) was another 0.1 lengths away in third.

The winning distance was the largest since AELIANA’s grandsire, Dundeel (High Chaparral), streaked six lengths clear of his rivals in the 2013 edition of the Classic.

Waller was enjoying back-to-back Australian Derby triumphs and Saturday’s victory takes the trainer’s total number of Group 1s to 177.
“It was a great performance and all credit to her,” said Waller.

“She’s had a couple of near misses in Group 1s but she’s got her own, and she’s got it in good style.

“We’ve got some good fillies in the fillies’ races, so it just seemed logical. But when she was brave in the Randwick Guineas, the Rosehill Guineas she got beaten a whisker by Broadsiding who is a very, very good three-year-old colt, and she’s done it herself today.

“She’s a great filly, she deserved it. She was beaten a nose in the Thousand Guineas, beaten a nose by Broadsiding in the Rosehill Guineas, just two career-making wins. It wasn’t becoming frustrating but she deserved it.

“My job is to look after her. It would be unlikely that she would back up. But, wow, I can’t wait for the next chapter because she’s a rising star.”

Meanwhile, Star Thoroughbreds’ Martin described the win as “one of the greatest days” of her life and even mooted she believes the filly could progress into a Caulfield Cup contender.

“I can’t process it. I’ve had Star [Thoroughbreds] for 32 years and the Golden Slipper was remarkable, but this is up there with one of the best days for Star. I always leave the programming to Chris because he is a master.”

Like Waller, Lane was ultra-impressed with the performance.

“She was extraordinary,” said Lane, who was winning the Derby for a second time having won it aboard another New Zealand-bred in Jon Snow (Iffraaj) in 2017. “She left the barriers well, just travelled great from the outset and felt a winner a long way out.

“I’m not riding in the best form of my life, I’ve ridden well for a long time. You just slowly build up to these opportunities. The cattle, doesn’t matter how good you ride, if you don’t have the horse underneath you, you can’t produce.

“It’s just been a really good progression the last five, six years of my career. I’ve been able to ride for bigger stables, get on better horses and get some really good opportunities.

“This year has probably been as good a season as I’ve had. So really rewarding for hard work and just riding well consistently.”

Becoming only the fourth female winner of the Group 1 in the last 70 years, AELIANA (NZ) broke a 13-year drought, with Shamrocker (O’Reilly) in 2011 the last filly to complete the feat.

AELIANA (NZ) is a 3 year old filly by Castelvecchio out of Star Witness mare Temolie. She was bred by Nearco Stud and Rich Hill Thoroughbreds, with the latter having bought the filly’s dam, Temolie for $200,000 from the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast, when she was carrying the now Group 1 winner in utero. AELIANA (NZ) was then bought by Star Thoroughbreds from Book 1 of the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale for $180,000 in 2023.

It was no surprise to see Martin fork out for the filly at Karaka, given her dam is a placed half-sister to Star Thoroughbreds’ former flagbearer INVINCIBELLA (I Am Invincible), whose 12 wins for the syndicator included the 2019 Tattersall’s Club Tiara (Group 1 over 1,400 metres) and prize money earnings in excess of $3 million. That mare went on to make $1.3 million when she sold to Coolmore’s Tom Magnier at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale the following year. Temolie is also a half-sister to Group 3 scorer Secret Blaze (Sizzling) and stakes winner Extreme Flight (Extreme Choice).

Congratulations to the winning AELIANA (NZ) owners Boeara Holdings (Manager: Denise Dunphy), Anne Howlett, Katrina Pailthorpe, Felgate Holdings (Manager: Paul Felgate), Paramount Racing (Manager: Kathryn Wood), Ray Aurisch, Dianne Handley, Warwick Smith, Brent Hudson, Estate of the late Judy Hudson, Forbson Group (Manager: Ben Forbes).