Winner
of the Group I VRC Myer Classic as a three year-old, top class I Am Invincible
mare I am a Star showed her class with a dominant win in the Group II MVRC
Stock Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday night winning the race for the second year
in a row.
She led throughout for Ben Melham and dashed away off the bend to score a
dominant length and a half win in the 1600 metre feature becoming the first
mare to win the race twice.
"She was really in the zone tonight," said Ben Melham.
"She was able to dictate terms in front and was the class mare in the race
which she showed tonight."
The Shane Nichols trained mare won the Group II VRC Let's Elope Stakes at her
previous start so has obviously returned this spring in top form.
I Am a Star was a $40,000 Inglis Classic purchase for James Harron Bloodstock
from the Broadwater Farm Thoroughbreds draft and has won nine of 25 starts and
over $1.4 million in prizemoney for owner Matthew Sandblom of Kingstar Farm and
Newgate Farm.
I Am a Star was actually bred in New Zealand by Eales Racing and was sold at
the NZB Weanling Sale for $12,000 out of the Rich Hill Stud draft before being
sent to Australia for re-sale.
A full sister to stakes-placed Band on the Run, I Am a Star is the third winner
for Star Band (USA), a half-sister by Dixieland Band to Group III winner Common
World from the family of Australian Group I winner Pear Tart.
I Am a Star is a star performer for Yarraman Park's superstar sire I Am
Invincible, who sets the pace on the Australian General Sires List with over
$2million in earnings.