Australia Filly Takes Aim At Ascot

Altair (3f Australia - Eccentricity, by Kingmambo) booked her ticket to Royal Ascot when justifying favoritism in Wednesday’s Fillies Race at Gowran Park.

Successful on debut in January, she finished a respectable fifth on softer ground in late April and seemed to relish the good-to-firm surface at Gowran, racing over nine and a half furlongs.

Shane Crosse rode her to track the leaders, picking up the pace after the three furlong pole and led over a furlong from home, staying on to beat Fancy Feat by a neck, with all of 10 lengths back to the third horse.

Winning trainer Joseph O’Brien commented after the race, “She's in the Ribblesdale and I wouldn't be against thinking about going there. She's a nice filly and we think she will stay further. We think plenty of her.”

Altair won in the colours of Mrs CC Regalado-Gonzalez and was bred by Whisperview Trading. The daughter of Australia is a half-sister to Group 3 1,000 Guineas Trial second Radiantly and is a grand-daughter of the Niarchos family’s top-class race mare Shiva.