Runway Star is set to return to her former home track at Caulfield for the Bletchingly Stakes in pursuit of a Melbourne Group race win.
The Phillip Stokes-trained mare is among 14 nominations for Saturday’s Group Three weight-for-age race in which high-profile horse The Cleaner has also been entered.
Runway Star
Popular gelding The Cleaner, formerly trained by Mick Burles in Tasmania, is now with Peter Gelagotis at Moe and won a barrier trial by six lengths on the Cranbourne synthetic track last week.
Fast `N’ Rocking, Mahuta, Lord Of The Sky and Charmed Harmony are also among the nominations which have been extended until Tuesday.
Runway Star was formerly at Caulfield when trained by the now-suspended Peter Moody.
She was transferred to Stokes in Adelaide after winning the Listed Matrice Stakes at Morphettville for the second straight year in March.
The sprinter was placed in the R N Irwin Stakes at her first start for Stokes and was sixth in the Group One Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville before winning the Group Three Proud Miss Stakes on May 21.
“We have targeted this race, the idea being she has got black type in Adelaide and it would be nice to have some black type from Melbourne on her CV before she goes to stud this year,” Stokes said.
Stokes said the plan was for Runway Star to run in the Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) and maybe some races early in the new season before heading to stud.
“She hasn’t put in a bad run for the stable,” Stokes said.
“She has never been tried over further than 1200 metres but I really think she could run 1400 metres.
“She’s a pleasure to work with and she’s a good mare fresh.
“There looks to be good speed on paper in that race on Saturday and as long as they’re running on, she will be one of them.”
Runway Star will be ridden by Dom Tourneur.
