Photo: bradleyphotos.com.au
New Zealand-bred filly Aeliana (Castelvecchio) secured a special place in the 164-year history of the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) with a stunning five-length blitz in the A$2 million classic at Randwick on Saturday.
Aeliana became only the 10th filly to win the Australian Derby, and one of just two in the last 35 years. The other filly to win the race during that period was fellow New Zealand-bred Shamrocker in 2011.
The Chris Waller-trained Aeliana burst on the scene in the spring with back-to-back wins in the Gr.3 Reginald Allen Quality (1400m) at Randwick and by three and a half lengths in the Gr.3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Flemington. She concluded her breakthrough spring campaign with a flying finish into second in the Gr.1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield.
Strong-finishing efforts for third in the Gr.2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m), fourth in the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) and a desperately close second in the Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (1600m) suggested Aeliana was crying out for the 2400m of the Australian Derby. She received a torrent of support through Saturday afternoon, tightening all the way into $2.25 as the best-backed runner in any of the 10 races on the opening day of The Championships. She was backed as if virtually unbeatable, and so it proved.
Jockey Damian Lane put Aeliana well within striking distance, settling close up in fourth and one off the rail as Plymouth and Mustang Morgan set the pace.
That pair began to feel the pinch coming up to the home turn, but Aeliana was travelling with effortless ease as she cruised up beside them under a tight hold.
Lane let her go inside the final 300m and the response was explosive. Aeliana charged clear in a Derby demolition job, opening up a five-length margin over Firm Agreement. Shanwah finished third, with Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) winner Willydoit fourth after a tough wide run.
“She was extraordinary,” Lane said. “She left the barriers well, just travelled great from the outset and felt a winner a long way out. She’s a super filly.”
From 10 starts, Aeliana has now recorded four wins and three placings and has earned A$2.27 million for a Star Thoroughbreds ownership syndicate. Star Thoroughbreds bought her for $180,000 from Rich Hill Stud’s draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2023.
Aeliana became the second Derby winner for both Lane and Waller. Lane previously won it aboard Jon Snow in 2017, while Waller won the Derby last year with Riff Rocket.
“She’s a great filly and she deserved this,” Waller said on Saturday. “She was beaten a nose in the Thousand Guineas, beaten a nose by Broadsiding in the Rosehill Guineas – near-misses in two career-making races. So she really deserved a Group One win and she’s done it in style.
“That was a dominant win. I don’t get as emotional these days as I used to, but that was really special. I was waiting for something to come with us at the 300m, and you could see there was some horses doing their best, but the way she opened up was really special.”
Waller suggested that Aeliana is unlikely to back up into the Gr.1 Australian Oaks (2400m) against her own sex next Saturday.
“My job is to look after her,” he said. “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.”
Aeliana was bred by Nearco Stud and Rich Hill Thoroughbreds and is by Arrowfield Stud stallion Castelvecchio out of the Star Witness mare Temolie.
Aeliana is the first foal to race out of Temolie, who was herself a placegetter on the racetrack and is a half-sister to Star Thoroughbreds’ Group One winner Invincibella, as well as the Group Three winner Secret Blaze and Listed winner Extreme Flight.
Rich Hill Stud bought Temolie for A$200,000 from the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast, when she was carrying Aeliana.
Temolie has been served by Rich Hill’s resident superstar sire Proisir every spring since then, producing filly foals in 2022 and 2023. The first of those Proisir fillies was bought by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and TFI for $250,000 at Karaka 2024, while Aeliana’s owners Star Thoroughbreds paid $300,000 to buy the filly offered by Rich Hill during Book 1 of Karaka 2025 in January.
