SUNDAY: December 24, 2023: MARC Chevalier isn’t one to go back on his word.!
The Hawkesbury trainer promised major part-owner Dr Ulysess Crosson that he would give Everyone’s A Star an opportunity for a city win if she was successful at Wyong yesterday – and that’s exactly what the lightly-raced mare did.
Given a perfect ride by Rory Hutchings, Everyone’s A Star ($10) maintained her consistent record by taking the Class 1 Handicap (1000m), downing the well-supported $2.60 favorite Coco Dreams.
“I promised Dr Crosson that we would have a crack at a Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1100m) at Royal Randwick on January 6,” Chevalier said today.
“So I’ll keep that promise, and she deserves a chance to win a race in town in the form she is in.”
Chevalier has done a splendid job with the four-year-old daughter of Star Turn, who came to him last year after Wyong trainer Jeff Englebrecht retired at the end of the 2021-22 season.
She has raced seven times for him for two wins and four placings, and finished fourth on the other occasion.
“Everyone’s A Star ran a terrific race first-up when third over 900m on a ‘Soft 7’ surface at Newcastle three weeks ago,” Chevalier said.
“She was fresh and went too hard and ran a remarkable sectional time of 32.2 seconds between the 800m and 200m.
“Everyone’s A Star is a lovely mare, and much better when she has a horse in front of her and can finish off as she did yesterday.”
Chevalier paid tribute to the mare’s owner who paid only $15,000 for her as a yearling at the 2021 Inglis Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association sale in Sydney.
“Dr Crosson has a good eye for a horse, having bought a few handy ones for not a lot of money,” he said.
By contrast, Everyone’s A Star’s dam, the Rock Of Gibraltar mare Pietra, fetched $100,000 when sold as an Inglis Australian Easter yearling in 2011.
She didn’t win, but was placed five times from nine starts.
Everyone’s A Star is Pietra’s fifth foal. Her first, a Your Song filly, was exported to China in 2017 and her second foal, a Magic Albert colt, died after birth.
Her third and fourth foals Kev’s Girl (five wins in Victoria, including one at The Valley) and Everyone’s A Star’s older brother Onemoreforleo (two wins in Western Australia) have been successful.
. Meanwhile, Chevalier’s stable flag-bearer Torrens has had an easy time since his close third to Stockman in the Listed Christmas Cup (2400m) at Rosehill Gardens on December 2.
“He hasn’t had a gallop in the three subsequent weeks, but we’ll get him going again on Tuesday,” Chevalier said.
“The plan is to start him again in the Listed January Cup (2000m) at Rosehill on January 13 as a lead-up to the Listed Australia Day Cup (2400m) at Warwick Farm on January 26.”
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