Group One-winning filly I Am A Star will return against older horses in the Rubiton Stakes
Group One-winning filly I Am A Star will step out in a Cranbourne barrier trial in preparation for her return against older horses in the Rubiton Stakes five days later.
A number of high-profile horses, including the Mick Price-trained colts Flying Artie and Extreme Choice, are also schedules to trial at Cranbourne on Monday.
Trainer Shane Nichols said I Am A Star would resume in Saturday’s Group Two Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield, with Craig Williams to ride.
“She’s going well. She looks far better now than what she did in the spring,” Nichols said.
“She’s strengthened up, her work has been good.
“The Rubiton is a nice kick-off for her with 53.5 kilos to launch into a preparation that will involve possibly some trips to Sydney and back to Melbourne and even maybe Adelaide at the end of the preparation.”
He said with a long campaign ahead, I Am A Star would not be fully wound up for the Rubiton in which she could come up against superstar sprinter Chautauqua.
“She’s coming into the preparation sound, well and in very good condition,” Nichols said.
The trainer has pencilled in the Angus Armanasco Stakes (1400m) against her fellow three-year-old fillies as the likely second-up run before either the Australian Guineas or a trip to Sydney.
The Robert Sangster Stakes in Adelaide at the end of her campaign is also among her options.
While the Angus Arminasco is the likely second-up run, Nichols hasn’t ruled out keeping the filly to sprints if she fires first-up.
“It is possible if she happened to run really, really well in the Rubiton, she may have a sprinting campaign,” he said.
I Am A Star has won four of her nine starts including the Quezette Stakes and Myer Classic last spring.
She is entered in an 800m heat for three-year-old fillies on Monday.
