A big team of Darby Racing owners were on hand to see the Clarry Conners trained filly Look to the Stars breakthrough for a well-deserved win when beating the colts to score over 1200 metres.
Second at Warwick Farm and Canterbury at her first two starts before Christmas, Look to the Stars chased home brilliant colts Haptic and Furnaces in the Listed ATC lonhro Plate at her last start so appreciated this drop in grade.
She settled for Blake Shinn and found the line strongly to win by half length.
"She was stuck on the fence the other day in the Lonhro and the fence was off," said Clarry Conners.
"She relaxed beautifully today and after they'd gone a hundred metres I was confident she'd run well.
"I might back her up in the Magic Night, the last Saturday before the Slipper. She's a good filly and it's all about getting them a bit of Black Type."
Look to the Stars was a modest $26,000 Inglis Scone purchase for Darby Racing from the Yarraman Park draft and is the second winner for Argentinean Group II winner Star Prize (Arg), a daughter of More Than Ready's sire Southern Halo.
Her current yearling, a colt by I Am Invincible, sold for considerably more
money than Look to the Stars, purchased by James Harron Bloodstock/Snowden
Racing for $160,000 at the recent Inglis Classic Yearling Sale from the draft
of Ferndale Farm, who now own the mare.Making it a double was the Gerald Ryan trained Lanikai, who defeated a smart field of up and coming three year-old fillies to win by half a neck.
Sent to the post as an outside chance, she backed up from a last start maiden win at Gosford and seems to have really turned the corner this preparation, her overall record now two wins and two placings from eight starts.
"It's surprising it took so long for her to win a maiden," said stable representative Blake Ryan.
"She's a big strong filly that has taken a few runs to get fit."
Lanikai is the fifth winner for River's Secret, a half-sister by Flying Spur to Group I MRC Oakleigh Plate winner River Dove, the dam of Group II ATC Silver Slipper Stakes winner Headwater.
Lanikai was bred and offered for sale by Yarraman Park at Inglis Easter fetching $80,000 and Yarraman Park will offer her full brother as Lot 136at the 2015 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
