News

Celebrity Girl Shows Star Potential

6th Sep 2011

Racing And Sports - Alex Steedman - Saturday, 3 September 2011

The Mark Kavanagh stable has unveiled a most promising three-year-old at Flemington today with Celebrity Girl winning the Listed Cap D'Antibes Stakes in convincing fashion.

Resuming after her debut win at Sandown last April, Celebrity Girl showed she has come back bigger and better as a three-year-old in today's $125,000 Listed Cap D'Antibes Stakes (1100m) at Flemington.

Celebrity Girl took up a forward position in the field of nine fillies and effortlessly cruised to the lead by the 300m.

When jockey Michael Rodd asked for more from the daughter of Starcraft, Celebrity Girl responded and dashed home to claim a 2.5 length win with Star Salute and Platelet filling the minor placings.

Trainer Mark Kavanagh suggested there are better races in store for Celebrity Girl over the spring such as the $500,000 Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m).

“She is a pretty handy filly,” Kavanagh said.

“She is well above average and we are very pleased with her. She is by Starcraft and the mothers side is bred to go in the Oaks so we are going to head her towards the Thousand Guineas.

“At this stage it is easy to think that it may be a little brave, that she is a little bit too brilliant for that but she does settle as well.”

The Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) is held at Caulfield on October 13 which will allow Celebrity Girl two more runs in which she can gain valuable race experience.

“It is the right time of year to have a filly like this running,” Kavanagh said.

“She has always shown us plenty, her win first up at Sandown was super, she broke 33 secs at her first start for her last 600m and you know you've got a good filly there.

“Certainly today she showed she is above average.”

Jockey Michael Rodd has ridden Celebrity Girl at both of her career starts.

“From her first start at Sandown we always knew we had something there with her,” Kavanagh said.

“She is a nice big, strong filly and physically she is all there but mentally she has still got to switch on a bit because she is still looking around.

“There is more there than that too. She just gets her head up and floats, she doesn't know how to let down properly.

“It is good to be on a really good filly.”

By Starcraft out of Keltrice mare Dashing Granada, Celebrity Girl did not come cheap having been purchased by the Kavanagh stable for $500,000 at the 2010 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

“She is a pretty good sort and when you see a good filly with a bit of a pedigree page, $500,000 is cheap for her right now,” Kavanagh said.

“She had a massive girth on her and a really nice walk, she just had style written all over her.”