Aeliana is an ATC Derby champion ready to go to the next level as a four-year-old this spring.
This week we have the fourth edition of our exclusive Spring Prospect Watchlist, and we’ve got another Waller trained mare in our sights for some big things this prep.
After looking at the spring ahead for Lady Shenandoah last installment, we now move towards an emerging talent who has already shown her staying credentials with the autumn’s enormous Australian Derby winning filly Aeliana.
This Kiwi foaled daughter of Castelvecchio demolished the boys as a three-year-old and is out to produce something equally impressive this prep starting with Saturday’s Group 1 Winx Stakes.
She’s facing a smorgasbord of potential targets from the Cox Plate to the Melbourne Cup, and we cannot wait to see where Waller places her.
So, let’s take a look over this exciting young gun who could be the next superstar for the country’s best-known stable.
Ladbrokes Tip: As a proven mile and a half winner the current $17 odds on Aeliana in futures Caulfield Cup betting could prove a steal come October!
AELIANA (NZ)
- Age: 4YO
- Sex: Mare
- Breeding: by CASTELVECCHIO from TEMOLIE
- Owners: Star Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd, Boeara Holdings, Mrs A M Howlett, Mrs K A Pailthorpe, Felgate Holdings, Paramount Racing, Mr R B T Aurisch, Mrs D M Handley, Mr W A Smith, Mr B K Hudson, EST JA Hudson, Forbson Group
- Trainer: Chris Waller
- Career: 10-4:2:1
- Prizemoney: $2,269,275
Major Wins:
- Group 3 Reginald Allen Quality (1400m) at Randwick on October 19, 2024
- Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on November 2, 2024
- Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 5, 2025
Last Autumn Start:
- 1st in the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) beating Firm Agreement by 5.16 lengths at Randwick on April 5, 2025
First-Up Spring Performance:
- Group 1 $1 million Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 23 – Ran a brave 1st-up second to Via Sistina.
Second-Up Spring Performance:
- Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 13 – Ran 2nd to historic three-time winner Mr Brightside
Third-Up Spring Performance:
- Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 4 – Ran 5th to Melbourne Cup favourite Sir Delius
Latest Start:
- Group 1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 25 – Ran 6th 5.2 lengths off Via Sistina
Why She’s the Real Deal for the Spring Group 1s
Proven Group 1 Form: Aeliana’s already shown she can hang with the big boys having demolished the colts and geldings in the Derby and looks every chance to add to her Group 1 tally as a new-season four-year-old.
The Chris Waller Factor: She’s with Chris Waller – the guy basically running the Australian racing scene. The Kiwi expat’s got a knack for turning good horses into legends, and honestly, you can tell he rates her. He’s already thrown her name in the ring for some of the huge spring races. We’re talking things like the Cox Plate. No one does that unless they think they’ve got something special on their hands, and he certainly knows how to prepare a Cox Plate queen!
Ideal Racing Profile: She’s got this killer mix of speed and staying power; she ate up the 2400m in the ATC Derby. If you’re looking at the Turnbull Stakes or the Cox Plate, she’s got to be right up there on your list. Those Melbourne and Sydney carnivals? She shapes up as a prime candidate.
Eye-Catching Performances
Aeliana just blew everyone away in the prestigious Australian Derby. Only filly in the race, up against a bunch of cocky colts, and what does she do? Smashes them by over five lengths – 5.16, if you want to get technical. Poor Firm Agreement probably didn’t know what hit him. And this was right after she barely got edged out in the Rosehill Guineas by Broadsiding, talk about consistency. She’s not just a one-trick pony (literally), she’s rolling out big runs on different tracks and conditions which is gold looking ahead to the spring features.
Calling her a “revelation” almost feels like an understatement. Group 1 win in the Derby? That’s the kind of stuff that gets your name in racing trivia nights, especially since she’s only the tenth filly ever to pull it off. And she didn’t just scrape by; she straight-up humiliated the boys. That’s legendary status right there.
Her entire three-year-old campaign was impressive including her heartbreakingly close defeats in the Rosehill Guineas and the Thousand Guineas. If luck had been on her side, we’d probably be talking about a triple elite level winner by now. All that just screams she’s going to be lethal come spring. Pressure? Please. She handles it like a pro and she’s still emerging. Plus, she’s got this relentless gallop that just doesn’t quit over any distance. There’ll be plenty of rivals scared to line up against her over the coming months that’s for sure.
Best Autumn Form Line
Aeliana’s autumn performances? Elite. She stormed through the ATC Derby in an historical win, which is the ideal springboard for her spring carnival campaign. She’s following in the hoofprints of some of Australian racing’s most iconic three-year-olds who returned as more mature spring contenders for the really shiny silverware.
Remember the Rosehill Guineas? She got mugged for luck and still almost grabbed it. Then she strolls into the Derby and just embarrasses the boys. That’s not normal. That’s “call your mum, we’ve got a superstar” territory.
And let’s not forget, the Derby isn’t just any old race. We’re talking a breeding ground for legends – Kingston Town, Octagonal, Mongolian Khan… you get the idea. They all used the Derby as a launchpad to spring greatness in recent years.
Aeliana’s worth the hype. She’s got the staying power, she’s smoked the lads, and if you ask us, she’s a deadset Cox Plate threat but the Cup races are still in play!
Ladbrokes Tip: Jameka in 2016 was the last four-year-old mare to win the Caulfield Cup and she did it by 3 lengths with 52.5kg as a $4.20 favourite!
Recent Trial Performance
Aeliana has had two official hit-outs ahead of her return. The first was nothing of note when dead last (8th) behind Palmetto over 850m in July but the second definitely showed she was coming on well.
Going around Randwick over 1000m on a Heavy (9) on August 7 in a Group trial on the course proper, Aeliana ran a fast-finishing fourth (again behind Palmetto from the John Sargent yard) in a warm-up that saw Pericles run second and Waller’s multiple Group 1 winning mare Lady Shenandoah place third.
Closing off nicely under Damian Lane, Aeliana wasn’t asked for much early but showed her trademark turn of foot in the closing stages suggesting she’s come back in excellent order.
Her strong late finish and quiet but classy effort caught the eye of stable rep Charlie Duckworth.
“Aeliana was very good,” he told Racing.com.
“Obviously today was a good day out for her. Damian hasn’t sat on her since winning the Derby, so he was full of praise.
“Strengthened up and looks like she’s taken a good step forward from that win.”
What the Trainer Says
Aeliana was so emphatic in her Derby triumph, so the spring Cup races are definitely on the table for now. But Waller has warned, the handicap endurance tests are tough for four-year-olds to win.
“She is a stronger horse now and she’s come back looking fantastic,” he told Racing.com this month.
“Normally that might bring a bit of speed. She’ll be nominated for everything, but I tend to go a little easier on our four-year-old mares and it normally works.
“That Caulfield Cup is a hard race to win, but as much as we want to win it, it often comes down to barrier draws, track conditions and things like that.
“I just think, a horse like Aeliana, she’ll start off in the Winx (Stakes) and then go to a mile race and then we’ll look to the riders who can tell us ‘This horse is sharper than she was last prep’ or ‘she’s looking for further’.
“If it’s looking for further, then, of course, we’ll be looking at Turnbulls and whatever follows from there. I want to keep an open mind, with her in particular.”
Ladbrokes Tip: Waller’s record in the Turnbull Stakes is imposing as he’s won it seven times in the past decade including with Via Sistina last year!
Pedigree & Nature
Aeliana’s bloodlines are very impressive and also work for her potential ahead of the spring.
Her dad is Castelvecchio, a champion stallion who is known for producing top-line stayers. During his own career he won the Group 1 Champagne Stakes as a two-year-old by 1.5 lengths and is best known for his 2019 Cox Plate second as a three-year-old behind Japan’s Lys Gracieux. He also bagged a Rosehill Guineas so was no dud. And her mom is a well-bred Star Witness mare Temolie. That’s basically a genetic cocktail for speed and style.
The filly’s got this pro attitude too, not one of those loose cannons. She’s all business, but still growing up. Honestly, you get the feeling her peak is still coming. She’s had her break, stretched her legs, and now her trainer’s talking up a huge spring. Stay tuned punters!
Cox Plate Potential
If you’re not already paying attention to Aeliana for the 2025 Ladbrokes Cox Plate, you should be. While instincts to get behind her in the Cups are strong, and not without merit, Waller seems to be leaning towards a more measured approach this prep with the Australasian weight-for-age championship firmly in his sights.
Her Australian Derby win was straight-up fireworks, and she’s not just one of those fillies who looks good on paper – she’s got the guts and the form to back it up, all while running in the deep end of Group 1 company.
Waller’s got her tuned to handle high-pressure races, she handles the high stakes like a pro, doesn’t blink at tough tracks, and can turn it on from anywhere in the run. That tactical speed plus a killer finish? Perfect recipe for The Valley’s 2040m chaos.
Cannot see her going backwards this spring, so she’s got every shot to shake up this year’s Cox Plate showdown. Watch this space.
Final Word
Aeliana’s a name on everyone’s lips heading into the Spring Racing Carnival. After that absolute clinic she put on in the Aussie Derby, it’s not hard to see why. It’s not every day you see a filly slap the boys around like that and walk off with a Group 1 trophy.
Chris Waller’s playing it cool, and while he may be saying the Caulfield Cup’s probably off the table, we’ll still be putting a few dollars on her in futures markets just in case. Her name’s also floating around for the Cox Plate and a bunch of the other big spring gigs.
She’s got that gritty, never-say-die engine, and now that she’s four and really filling out, we believe she’s just getting started. With maturity on her side now, she’s got class and stamina in spades and looks every chance to prove herself at WFA this season.
Keep tabs on this one.
Now, for a bit of fun….
Who Would Play Her in a Movie?
Okay, picture this: they’re making a movie about Aeliana and for us the role would have to go to Margot Robbie.
Margot’s whole vibe – rising up, crushing expectations, walking into a room (or a racetrack) like she owns it – it’s basically Aeliana’s story but with more hooves and less red carpet.
As a filly, Aeliana was already turning heads. Reminds us of Margot blowing up out of nowhere, except Aeliana did it by absolutely wrecking the field in the Australian Derby which solidified her as a true A-lister.
Both of them somehow manage to be all power and elegance at once. You get this sense they don’t need to shout about their talent; they just show up and change the game. And that pedigree? Aeliana’s got Castelvecchio in her blood, a stayer with a real engine – basically the horse version of being born with Margot Robbie’s acting chops.
Aeliana could about to become the new queen of Aussie racing and our own Aussie queen of the screen, Robbie, is the ideal casting!
With Aeliana an early fancy in plenty of upcoming Group 1 races in both Melbourne and Sydney, make sure you’re across all the major tracks with our Ladbrokes exclusive Punters’ Playbook Track Deep Dives!
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