Star Celebrity adds to picket fence form-line

Star Celebrity (Always B Miki) continued to build on her picket fence form line after leading all the way in the Alabar Vicbred Platinum Mares Sprint Championship harness racing final at Melton on Saturday night.

The Emma Stewart trained four-year-old has now won her past seven starts.

Allan McDonough wasted little time putting the $1.90 favorite into the early action as he pushed through aggressively from an outside second row draw to wrest the lead from stable mate Whatadelight shortly after the start.

When McDonough released the reins approaching the home turn, Star Celebrity reeled off a 26.4 last 400 metres making it impossible for any of her rivals to run her down in the home straight.

⭐️ What a star! ⭐️

Star Celebrity stretches her winning sequence to seven in the Alabar Vicbred Platinum Mares Sprint Championship Final for Emma Stewart and Alan McDonough. pic.twitter.com/JfoVd9camQ

— The Trots (@TheTrotsComAu) August 5, 2023

McDonough conceded his pre-race plan was to eliminate any possibility of bad luck in the run.

“She was the best mare in the race and I wanted to go forward and avoid any chance of interference,” McDonough said.

“She gave me a really good feel and did it within herself in the straight,” he said.

The beautifully bred daughter of Always B Miki has now won nine of her 20 starts and McDonough said she had proven herself against the best of her age.

“Coming though as a three-year-old she made the finals of all the good races and in her last start she beat a handy field,” he said.

McDonough said Star Celebrity will be aimed at the upcoming Vicbred and Breeders Crown Series.

“She’ll run in those four-year-old features and she should be a major player in the big mares’ races next year,” he said.

For complete race results, click here.

by John Dunne for Harnesslink