Aeliana makes most of opportunity as she scores in Ranvet
One Waller-McDonald super mare revelled in the absence of another as Aeliana claimed her second elite-level victory in Saturday’s Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill.
Star Thoroughbreds’ four-year-old had been unlucky enough to run into Autumn Glow in both her previous two starts and showed her class in running second to the budding phenomenon both times, the latter by just 0.4 lengths in Randwick’s Verry Elleegant Stakes late last month.
But with Autumn Glow engaged later on Saturday’s glittering Rosehill card, Aeliana took her moment in the sun, relieving punters who’d taken her $1.60 starting price with a fighting victory.
Though it was only a five-runner field, the win was full of merit, even if it wasn’t quite the demolition job of her 5.16 length Australian Derby success last autumn.
McDonald sat second–last in the run as the Waller-trained stablemate Lindermann (Lonhro) set what was only a middling pace under the wily Nash Rawiller.
Lindermann, on fresh legs, gave a strong kick to take a two-length lead into the straight as Aeliana came after him. While the resuming second-favourite Sir Delius (Frankel) looked for a moment like he was about to come after them, instead the front pair pulled away to fight a fierce battle over the last 100 metres. Though Lindermann battled doggedly, McDonald was able to lift Aeliana to victory in the last few bounds.
Bought at Karaka by Star Thoroughbreds for $180,000 from the draft of Rich Hill Stud – who bred her with fellow Kiwis Nearco Stud – Aeliana has now amassed $3.5 million in prize-money from 17 starts, with five wins and seven minor placings.
Waller was full of praise after the race for Aeliana, who aside from her two elite victories has run second at the top level five times.
“She was made to fight for it,” the winning trainer said. “He’s [Lindermann] a good horse on his day and I think Nash controlled the race really well. She had to be good to win and obviously Sir Delius on our back, that gave me a bit of a scare when he came with us.
“But you could just see, they sort of broke clear of him and then it was a fight between the stablemates.”
McDonald echoed Waller in praise of Aeliana.
“She’s just incredible. Her tenacity to find the line was just superb,” the winning rider said. “She’s been building to something like that and I’ve got to give credit to the second horse because they made us work. I was thinking, ‘This is not how the script’s supposed to go’.
“Nash is a genius when it comes to that [tempo]. He just gets things on his own terms. It wasn’t ideal, that’s for sure, because he had a picnic up in front. But I was on a good horse and she deservedly won that one.”
Waller was unsure of a next start for Aeliana. Bookmakers wound her in to $2.80 favouritism for next Saturday’s Tancred Stakes (Gr 1, 2400m) back at Rosehill. She’s also $2.80 for Randwick’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes on April 11 – but is second-favourite there behind the $1.80 shot Autumn Glow.
“I’m not sure, but the distance is no problem,” Waller said of the Tancred. “A seven–day back up isn’t ideal. I want to see how few others go today, then try and map it all out tomorrow.”
Rawiller was also highly impressed by the six-year-old Lindermann.
“He put up an amazing performance as he always does when he’s like that,” the jockey said. “He picked himself up off the canvas there at the 100 metres and really rallied. I thought for a stride we could worry her out of it. She is a top mare in her own right.”
Aeliana is bred in the purple, with a strong Star Thoroughbreds connection.
From the first crop of Arrowfield’s Castelvecchio (Dundeel), she’s the second foal out of Temolie (Star Witness), who was placed just once in seven starts but is a half-sister to Star’s former outstanding mare Invincibella (I Am Invincible). That mare won five stakes races for Star and Waller, including the Tatts Tiara (Gr 1, 1400m), for more than $3 million in prize-money.
Temolie is also a half-sister to two other stakes winners in Secret Blaze (Sizzling) and Extreme Flight (Extreme Choice).
The mare now has a yearling filly by Proisir (Choisir) and was covered back in Australia by Castelvecchio’s sire Dundeel (High Chaparral) last spring.
Aeliana is one of six stakes victors, two elite-level scorers and 62 winners for Castevecchio from 114 runners, at a 5.2 per cent stakes winners to runners ratio. The nine-year-old stood at Arrowfield last season for $49,500, up from $22,000 in 2024.