I Am A Star has autumn Group One aims
Myer Classic winner I Am A Star is ready to return to work to begin building up for feature races.
The $3 million Doncaster Mile is among the many big-race options for Group One-winning filly I Am A Star who is about to return to stable life.
I Am A Star lived up to her name during the spring with the Shane Nichols-trained filly winning the Quezette Stakes frist-up in August and ending her campaign with victory in the Group One Myer Classic on October 29.
She has had a five-week break and Nichols is eagerly awaiting her return.
“I’m like a kid on Christmas Eve, ready to open the present,” Nichols said.
“We’ll take nine or 10 weeks to get her ready for her first start back. And then away we go.”
Nichols says I Am A Star looks “awesome”.
“She’s strengthened up a lot and put on a lot of condition,” he said.
“She’s spelled much better this time than her previous prep.”
She is likely to return in the Rubiton Stakes on February 11 at Caulfield then run in the Group Two Angus Armanasco Stakes (1400m), a race Nichols says will be pivotal in her preparation.
“We’ll then decide whether she runs in the Australian Guineas at Flemington or goes straight up to Sydney,” he said.
The Group One Coolmore Classic for fillies and mares in Sydney is a week after the Guineas with the weight-for-age Queen Of The Turf Stakes another race Nichols has in mind against her own sex.
The Doncaster Mile is also on the radar.
“Three-year-old fillies have got a good record in it,” Nichols said.
“She will certainly be nominated, and if she happened to win a nice race during the preparation then that will obviously up the sights a bit on a race like the Doncaster.
“She’s already a Group One winner and a Group One placegetter, so there’s not a lot to lose by running in as many Group Ones as we can.
“She’s a very valuable filly and we’ll target her at the top of the tree.”
Nichols says the Guineas is appealing because I Am A Star is unbeaten at Flemington while the Sydney weather will also be a consideration because she was well beten on a heavy track at Randwick during spring.