Ethereal Star more than just a one-race filly

17 January 2023

Source: Michael Guerin, NZ Herald, photo Trish Dunell

New Zealand has only three $1 million thoroughbred races but that doesn’t mean Saturday’s Karaka Million is the grand final for exciting Lib Petagna-bred filly Ethereal Star.

Although trainer Andrew Forsman would love to win the juvenile dash for mega cash for the first time he says his stable representative is more than a one-race filly.

“Of course we want to win this Saturday and still think she can but this race isn’t the be-all and end-all,” says Forsman. “She is a filly I think has real class and she won her way into this race on natural ability.

“Because she could do that in only two starts and didn’t need to have a searching prep to do, so we decided to go for it, but we haven’t screwed her right down for the one race.

“If this was the sole focus of her season, or even her career, as it can be for some horses, then we might have trialled her and even put the blinkers on to get everything out of her, but sometimes that can send them over the top.

“So she is ready to run well but I think she will keep getting better after this race.”

Ethereal Star was a $600,000 Karaka purchase last March and has deep bloodlines, so while winning on Saturday would more or less see her pay for herself in one race, her future worth will be determined by her ability to win at Group 1 level.

So victory in a race such as the Sistema Stakes, the Group 1 two-year-old at the Auckland Cup carnival, would be worth more to her and her offspring in the years to come.

Forsman’s attitude to the Karaka Million is one reason Ethereal Star didn’t dazzle when more than 20 of Saturday’s contenders worked at Pukekohe on Monday morning.

She was never asked for her best against race rival Ulanova and finished at least a length behind but Forsman was unfazed.

“That was all we wanted from her,” he says. “She is ready to go, as ready as we can get her without another race or trial, so now we hope for a good draw.”

The draw for both the Karaka Million and the Three-Year-Old Classic will be at 11am today and it could decide who champion jockey Opie Bosson rides in the Million as he looks to win it for the sixth time in seven years. Bosson has the option to ride either of the two Te Akau-trained favourites in Tokyo Tycoon or Trobriand, who are both unbeaten and worked well in different pairings at Pukekohe on Monday.

Tokyo Tycoon, who looks a jump and run Karaka Million type, recorded a quicker last 600m and

has race-winning experience at Pukekohe but Bosson is a huge fan of Trobriand, so he will wait until after the barrier draw to see if one gains a genuine advantage.

Although Bosson’s final decision will cause some jockey juggling for Te Akau, Forsman has engaged outstanding Australian jockey Damian Lane for Ethereal Star and says a rider of Lane’s class doesn’t need too much instruction.

“He is world-class, so I won’t bother him too much, we will just have a chat raceday,” Forsman says. “He knows what he’s doing.”

Lane will also ride The Intimidator in the three-year-old Mile for Forsman, one of three representatives has in the race alongside Wessex and Devastate.

“All three of ours are really well but it is a very, very strong race.”

Ethereal Star Fact File

Breeding: Snitzel – Eleonora (Makfi) 2020 filly

Breeder: Lib Petagna

Trainer: Andrew Forsman ( who also trained her dam to success in the Gr.3 ARC Sunline Vase and the Gr.3 MRC Ethereal Stakes – a race named in honour of her great grand dam – with Murray Baker)