Emma Cully

💻 @StarTbreds 🌟🏇

[Emma Cully @EmLCully]

Looking back on her debut win, the @mcacajamez comments ring true! Thanks for the memories ESPIONA - what a joy you’ve been 🫶🏻 💫

@StarTbreds @mmsnippets @cwallerracing @RBloodstock

[Star Thoroughbreds @StarTbreds]

“She just oozes class” 🐎💨 Jockey @mcacajamez can’t keep the smile off his face as talented 3YO Extreme Choice filly ESPIONA leads home a Star quinella on debut, with Astern filly ARRANMORE in 2nd #brightfuture ⭐️ @cwallerracing @mmsnippets @RBloodstock @torryburnstud @TDNAusNZ

[Arrowfield Stud @ArrowfieldStud]

Castelvecchio's brilliantly classy daughter Aeliana added the G1 Ranvet S. & Tancred S. to her dominant, 5-length 2025 Australian Derby G1 victory. #Group1Glory #SeasonReview

[Ensign Lodge Racing @EnsignLodge]

Fifty winners for the season with a 28% strike rate as both AZONTO and SIMPLY DEEP win at Spreyton on the last meeting of the racing year. Excellent rides from Anthony Darmanin and huge thanks to our long time wonderfully supportive stable owners and friends #MemorableYear

[Richard Haynes @Haynsie75]

The @StarTbreds superstar Aeliana coming back after her first trial @aus_turf_club this morning ⭐️

[Australian Turf Club @aus_turf_club]

Aeliana coming in hot for her trial this morning followed by Campaldino, Barnavara, Ohope Wins 🐎

@cwallerracing @GaiWaterhouse1

[SKY Racing @SkyRacingAU]

Aeliana springs out of the gate in the first trial of her prep 🟣⚪️

[SENTrack @SEN_track]

Aeliana is currently in the market for the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Champions Stakes! 🐎

The mare could be in for a monster spring…

@bet365_aus | @M_Gannon_

[Star Thoroughbreds @StarTbreds]

The Verdict: Season in Review - Stayers via @Racing @TRBHorseRacing
@cwallerracing

https://t.co/IiUPTZd3gL

[Chris Waller Racing @cwallerracing]

Emerging from the fog… Lady Shenandoah and Aeliana. Two stars on a winter’s morning. ✨

[Star Thoroughbreds @StarTbreds]

Good luck to Paramount Racing @KathrynWE1810 @OliCelt33 ahead of GLENORCHY lining up in tomorrow’s Group 1 JJ Atkins following his Listed 2nd placing last week ☘️ #StarYearling #Classof2025 @inglis_sales @RBloodstock @Middlebrookstud @NewgateFarm

[Breednet @BreednetNews]

Debut winner for 2nd season Hanseatic

Houlihan (3f Hanseatic x Ray's Dream) for @EnsignLodge
35k buy for @StarTbreds & @RBloodstock from @MuskCreekFarm at @mmsnippets Adelaide

Season winner 34 for the sire
@RosemontStud

[Star Thoroughbreds @StarTbreds]

“ESTREMO…he’s in full flight and he’s too good” 🎙️ A strong win over 1350m by the 3 year old son of Extreme Choice with @BMelham aboard 💥 @cwallerracing @RBloodstock @inglis_sales @NewgateFarm @BrisRacingClub

[Newgate @NewgateFarm]

G3 winning son of E❌treme Choice,
ESTREMO kicks off his @RaceQLD Winter Carnival campaign with a dominant win at @BrisRacingClub 💪🏼

The @cwallerracing trained colt carries the @StarTbreds colours. An @inglis_sales Easter Yearling Sale Graduate purchase for connections alongside @RBloodstock 🎓

An exciting colt on the way to bigger targets 🎯
Congratulations to all connections including breeders, @MatthewSandblom , SF Bloodstock @TomRyanKY 👏👏

#RaisingRacehorses #ItsPossible

[7HorseRacing 🐎 @7horseracing]

Estremo returns to the winners' stall in style for Ben Melham 🟣⚪

@bmelham @cwallerracing @startbreds

[Star Thoroughbreds @StarTbreds]

CANARA goes straight to the front for Kyle Wilson-Taylor in the final race at @EagleFarmRacing and leads all the way to win the mile event 💥 @cwallerracing @RBloodstock @mmsnippets @yarramanpark

[Star Thoroughbreds @StarTbreds]

Wootton Bassett (GB) 3yo filly FLAXLANDS “is too good” to win first up this preparation over 1200m with @JadenLloyd10 aboard 🥇 @cwallerracing @mmsnippets @RBloodstock

[Star Thoroughbreds @StarTbreds]

“The Group 1 double in a week” 🎙️ It wouldn’t be possible without the wonderful stable staff at @cwallerracing and AELIANA was thrilled to shout them all breakfast post trackwork this morning ⭐️

[Star Thoroughbreds @StarTbreds]

A pleasure to speak with up-and-coming podcaster Jacob Tyson ⭐️ https://t.co/EoJHbdS7uq

[World Pool @WorldPool]

AUTUMN GLOW
AELIANA
DUBAI HONOUR
SIR DELIUS
And more...

What a race this Saturday's G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes looks! ✨

#WorldPool | @aus_turf_club | @tabcomau

[The Straight | Racing. Wagering. Breeding. @TheStraightonX]

Over 14 years, Emma Cully has become an indispensable and important part of the success of @StarTbreds - the quiet constant beside Denise Martin.
So how did this Irish-born daughter of a national hunt trainer end up in the heartbeat of one of Australia’s leading syndication companies?

@ms_peterpan finds out.

https://t.co/eomT0Q0x9u

[Daniel O'Sullivan @TRBHorseRacing]

🏇WFA Performance Ratings ⏱️⚖️📊📊 - Top 5 winners from Rosehill & Flemington 28/3/26:

🌟 Aeliana - 106.5: Showed class and serious stamina to overhaul Dubai Honour and win a high rating Group 1 Tancred Stakes. Her 106.5 rating was a new peak, improving on her previous two runs of 105.3 and 104.7.
It was only her second attempt at 2400m, and she has now produced a new peak at the trip both times, having gone from 99.5 to 103.3 to win the Group 1 ATC Derby at the same stage last year.
Her range and versatility are proving exceptional. She ran 105.3 over 1600m behind Autumn Glow in a race that required sharp acceleration and sectional speed off a slow tempo, and has now produced 106.5 over a strongly run 2400m that required stamina and sustained speed.
The clearest sign of her staying strength is that she not only relished a genuine 2400m in fast overall time, but still finished well above standard late, running +3.8 lengths over her final 200m. That confirms her as a genuine elite stayer.
Comparisons with Verry Elleegant are now warranted. Verry Elleegant ran 104 to win the G1 Australian Oaks as a 3YO in 2019, then returned the following autumn to run 104.5 when second in the G1 Ranvet before producing 107 to win the G1 Tancred seven days later. Aeliana followed a similar path, running 103.3 to win the G1 ATC Derby last year, then returning to win the Ranvet with 104.7 and now the Tancred with 106.5. Her figure is the second-highest winning rating in this race over the past decade, behind only Verry Elleegant.

🎯 Light Infantry Man - 101: Won a brutally fast-run Group 1 Australian Cup, where Pride Of Jenni set a blistering tempo, running +24.5 lengths above standard to the 800m. The race completely broke down late, with the entire field out on their feet over the final 400m, but Light Infantry Man was able to edge past Pride Of Jenni right on the line.
A 101 rating is his equal second-best performance in Australia behind the 105 he produced to win this race last year in dominant fashion by two lengths, also off a similarly extreme tempo set by Pride Of Jenni (who was beaten 15.7L on that occasion).
While Saturday’s race was run in well above standard overall time, it was not especially strong given the setup from that early pace. As a guide, they ran only six lengths faster than the BM84 won by Zakouma, despite going out around 26 lengths faster to the 800m, and coming home 20 lengths slower over the final 600m. Light Infantry Man ran home -11.4 lengths below standard for the final 400m and -6.5 for the final 200m, reflecting how hard the early speed took its toll.
There was a clear element of Pride Of Jenni going too fast for her own good, which very likely reduced her overall time compared to what she could have produced with a tempo more typical of her early speed, rather than at her extreme top end. Her ability to remain competitive and not drop right out was remarkable. That does not apply to the same extent to those settling off the speed, with numerous examples of high-quality horses sitting off this type of extreme tempo and producing stronger overall figures. That is a key factor constraining the race to a 101 rating level.
What the race does reinforce is that Light Infantry Man thrives in strongly run races. He has now won five races in Australia, and all have been run at least five lengths faster than standard early. In the 10 fastest early-pace races he has contested in Australia, he has won five, with a median rating of 99. In the 10 slowest-run races he has contested, he has zero wins, with just one placing and a median rating of 96.

🌧️ Wootton Verni - 99.5: Improved on his previous 97.5 peak from a 2000m win at Randwick on Soft 7 last preparation, to run a 99 rating winning the Neville Sellwood Stakes over 2000m on Soft 7 at Rosehill. Both races were run at a solid tempo, well above standard to the 800m, which provided an almost identical setup to that prior peak and makes the repeat performance no surprise. His profile shows a preference for rain affected ground, with his five best career ratings, including overseas, all coming in those conditions.

🙌 Corniche - 97.5: Won the Listed Bob Hoysted Hcp over 1000m at Flemington on Soft 7 for Shaw Mathrick, matching his career peak from two seasons ago when a 3YO with James Cummings, winning the G3 Gold Coast Guineas on Heavy 10. He clearly handles wet ground well, but his good form is not limited to those conditions. He has ratings of 96.3 on Soft 5 and 96.2 on Good 4.

💎 Idle Flyer - 97.5: Won the G2 Emancipation Stakes at Rosehill, her second best performance behind the 100.5 she produced winning the G3 Angst Stakes over 1600m last preparation. That peak came fourth up, whereas she was only second up on Saturday over 1500m, suggesting there is still scope to improve. She looks a good chance to challenge that peak again this preparation.

⚡️ Welwal - 97.5: Won the G3 Doncaster Prelude with a 97.5 rating, matching his peak from the G3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes over 1400m on Heavy ground at Caulfield in 2024. He settled nearly seven lengths off the lead at the 800m, but that was no disadvantage in a race run at a very fast early tempo set by Sandpaper, +11.5 lengths above standard, which suited horses in his position. His record points to a clear preference for wet ground, with his three Australian wins coming on Soft 6 to Heavy 8. That said, he has also produced ratings of 96.6, 96 and 95.5 when placed in Group class races on Good 4, not too far below his 97.5 peak.