Bendigo, known as the ‘Nursery of Champions’, could be the next stepping stone for I Am Aria to join an elite group of ‘Black Type’ winners who began their careers at the track. A history of notable horses, including Hyperno, Better Loosen Up, Shocking, Campaign King, Star Of The Realm, Miami Bound, and Hollow Bullet, all achieved early victories at this venue, situated approximately 150km from Melbourne.
I Am Aria might be the latest addition to this famed list after securing her maiden win in the Sandhurst Stockfeeds Maiden Plate (1000m) on Wednesday. Sent off as the strong $1.65 favourite with Michael Dee in the saddle, I Am Aria crossed the line a convincing 1-½ lengths ahead of Novamira ($4.40), with Silent Devotion ($21) finishing a further length back in third.
The filly had shown considerable promise during her initial campaign, earning placings in both the Blue Diamond Prelude and Blue Preview. However, her campaign took a serious turn when she bolted through the front of the barriers in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield in February. Following this incident, I Am Aria was sent for a spell and was making her first appearance since. Despite not favouring the wet track conditions, she proved too strong for her rivals.
“It’s always a relief to kick off the three-year-old season like that,” trainer Mark Walker told racing.com. “She’s got Black Type already, but it would be good to win a Black Type race. She’s got a beautiful pedigree, so it’s onwards and upwards.”
Walker commented that progeny from sire I Am Invincible typically improve with maturity, a trait he anticipates in I Am Aria. “We put her aside after she had that hiccup in the Blue Diamond and she had a lovely spell,” Walker said. “(Assistant-trainer) Ben (Gleeson) and I have seen the development in her in the way she had been working, and she seems a more mature filly. Hopefully, she can go a very good level, with a bit of luck.”
The trainer indicated that the Group 3 Cap D’antibes Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on September 12 is the planned next start for the filly. Michael Dee, who rode I Am Aria in her debut outing, noted that the filly appeared larger and stronger after her break. “She’s definitely made progress,” Dee said. “She still has her winter coat on her but is getting better day by day and what she showed me today, there’s plenty more to come from her.”
Punters looking to back the next star can find the latest racing odds at Australian betting sites.
