With some Stakes races for three-year-old fillies looming, Immortal Star ticked an important box with her victory at Moonee Valley.
The Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m) and the Group 3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m) are potential Stakes races on the agenda for Immortal Star at The Valley after her win in the Vale Black Caviar Stakes (1200m) on Saturday.
Ridden by Blake Shinn, Immortal Star ($4.60) scored a short-head win from the fast-finishing Photograph ($3) with the $2.45 betting apps favourite Manolo Blinga a length away third.
Jack Howard, representing the O’Brien stable, said he was loathe to make a definitive decision on race day as to the path of Immortal Star, but it was rewarding to see the filly score on Saturday.
“She’s had two starts here around The Valley and there’s potentially a couple of nice races coming up here,” Howard said.
“She’s ticked off the box that she can win here, so hopefully we can do that again further into the prep.”
Immortal Star made her debut at Moonee Valley last October and opened her current campaign finishing third behind Blue Stratum over 1000m at the track on August 10.
Howard said Immortal Star had made improvement from that outing and would continue to improve further into the preparation.
“She still hasn’t peaked yet,” Howard said.
“Her coat is still coming out, so there’s still quite a bit of improvement in her.
“Blake has done a fair amount of work on this filly, and we were confident leading into her first-up run that she would run well, and we are pleased to see that she took benefit from that going into today.”
Shinn was aboard Immortal Star when the filly scored in maiden grade at Ballarat where she lowered the colours of Evaporate, a winner at The Valley on Saturday, and Broadsiding, a multiple Group 1 winner in Sydney and Brisbane.
“She’s been bombproof from day one,” Shinn said.
“I’ve had a bit to do with her and well done to Danny, he’s placed her really well today.
“In her first win, she beat Broadsiding and Evaporate and that’s a pretty good form line. We thought she’d go there and win, which she did, and she’s come in at a good time of the year this time.”