Golden Slipper on Radar for Widden Graduate
There’s a bit of expectation when champion trainer Ciaron Maher produces a filly called Ciaron’s Star, but the two year-old daughter of I Am Invincible might be well above average after opening her account at Randwick on Saturday in the $160,000 ATC Pierro Plate (1100m).
Having her second race start after a debut third at the same venue last month, Ciaron’s Star sat outside the leader and kicked on well to win by the best part of a length.
Ciaron's Star for Ciaron Maher!
The filly breaks through at start two in the Pierro Plate 👏@TommyBerry21 @cmaherracing pic.twitter.com/x5ZGAic2Bi
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) February 14, 2026
Ciaron Maher’s stable representative Jo Gerard-Dubord believes the performance has earned Ciaron’s Star a crack at the Golden Slipper lead up races.
“You’ve got a Sweet Embrace (Stakes) in two weeks, a Reisling (Stakes) in three weeks, so we will probably look at one or the other and decide from there,” Gerard-Dubord said.
“She is very straightforward. Mentally, very mature. She was very good first-up, naturally she improved from that. She will just keep improving.”
A $650,000 Inglis Easter purchase from Widden stud for Ciaron Maher Bloodstock / C Sneesby, Ciaron’s Star was bred by Widden in partnership and is the last foal from stakes-winning O’Reilly mare Bonny O’Reilly, who passed away in 2024.
Ciaron’s Star is a half-sister to stakes-placed Basquiat and is the fifth winner from five to race from Bonny O’Reilly, a sibling to stakes-winner Pretty to Sea and also to the dam of Group I winning $3.3million earner Espiona.
I Am Invincible also went close in two of the major sprint races on Saturday with his star three year-old filly My Gladiola running second to Tentyris in the Group I VRC Lightning Stakes, while his speedy gelding Caballus led for home before being run down late by Joliestar in the Group II ATC Expressway Stakes.
