The Hinchinbrook filly won her final start last season over 1550 metres at
Randwick, prompting her trainer to look towards the spring and a possible VRC
Oaks campaign.Tackling 1800 metres second up for this assignment, she led all the way for Tim Clark to score by more than a length and has now two races and placed twice from five starts earning over $90,000 in prizemoney.
"It wasn't the plan to lead but once she was a little bit fresh early, Tim did the right thing and let her stride to the front," Newnham said.
"Once she found her rhythm, she backed off nicely and showed a good kick."
Greysful Glamour went on to run second to Aristia in last year's VRC Oaks and Newnham said Celestial Falls was a similar type to her half-sister.
"They're both very similar apart from the colour really," Newnham said.
"She's a lovely big relaxed filly and always shown she will stay. I didn't have
any hesitation with going from 1300(m) to 1800(m) with her second-up."I've always had the Oaks marked in mind for her."
Celestial Falls was a modest $80,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Edinglassie Stud draft for Darby Racing/ De Burgh Equine and is second winner from Rippled (GB), a winning Dalakhani mare from the family of European Group I winners Crystal Music and Zelzal.
Rippled had a colt by Hinchinbrook make $150,000 at Inglis Easter this year when bought by Paul Moroney Bloodstock / Ballymore Stables and has a yearling colt to follow by the much missed Yarraman Park sire, who also sired the first two year-old winner in Australia this year in Mildred, who also saluted at flemington. Read about her here.
