Bendigo, renowned as the ‘Nursery of Champions’, might soon see I Am Aria join a distinguished list of ‘Black Type’ winners who commenced their racing careers at the track. Prominent horses such as Hyperno, Better Loosen Up, Shocking, Campaign King, Star Of The Realm, Miami Bound, and Hollow Bullet all experienced early success at this venue, located roughly 150km from Melbourne.
I Am Aria could be the next to etch her name into this celebrated history following her maiden win in the Sandhurst Stockfeeds Maiden Plate (1000m) on Wednesday. Sent out as the commanding $1.65 favourite with Michael Dee aboard, I Am Aria triumphed by a 1-½ length margin over Novamira ($4.40), with Silent Devotion ($21) securing third place a length behind.
The filly had shown promise in her initial campaign, achieving placings in both the Blue Diamond Prelude and Blue Preview. However, her campaign was interrupted when she burst through the front of the barriers in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield in February. After this incident, I Am Aria was spelled and was making her first start since, proving too strong for her rivals despite the wet track conditions.
“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 noted that horses sired by I Am Invincible generally improve with age, a characteristic he expects from 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 has earmarked the Group 3 Cap D’antibes Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on September 12 as the potential next outing for the filly. Michael Dee, who rode I Am Aria on her debut, commented that the filly appeared bigger and stronger following her spell. “She’s definitely made progress,” Dee remarked. “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.”
Ready to place a wager? Check out the latest racing betting markets for upcoming events.