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Cult of Celebrity set to grow in Guineas Prelude

Exciting South Australian filly Instant Celebrity will take a major step in her Group 1 quest when she makes her Melbourne debut in the Thousand Guineas Prelude at Caulfield on Saturday.

Trainer Phillip Stokes said the unbeaten youngster hadn’t missed a beat since arriving at his Pakenham base last week and tab.com.au have installed her a firm $3.10 favourite.

“I couldn’t be happier with her,” Stokes said.

“She’s settled here really well and it’s a credit to the team in Adelaide who have done a great job with her.

“Her work on Tuesday was very good and it’s now going to be about just how well she handles herself around Caulfield.”

Instant Celebrity was a soft winner on debut at Morphettville back in June before giving an insight into her class when she overcome a tricky wide barrier to beat The Brumby in the Listed Oaklands Plates in July.

But it was her first-up performance against the older horses earlier this month that gained plenty of attention.

Sent out a long odds-on favourite, Instant Celebrity looked in trouble when she was giving the leader a massive start straightening, before unleashing a sizzling final 200m to score.

Her closing 200m sectional of 11.26 seconds was the fastest of the day, made more impressive by the fact it was a deteriorating track – thanks to steady rain late in the day – and she a long way off peak fitness.

“It was an unbelievable run,” Stokes said.

“Horses just don’t do that; I thought she was going to run a really good second.

“She’s got a great will to win (and) you can’t train that into a horse.”

Craig Williams will ride the filly and Stokes maintains their focus is firmly on having her peaking for the $1 million Thousand Guineas on October 10 where she’s currently marked a $5 favourite.

“She couldn’t have done any more up to this stage,” Stokes said.

“But this is obviously another level again and this isn’t her grand final.

“But we’ll just get through the prelude and go from there.”

John Allen has been booked to ride fellow South Australian Ecumenical, who was beaten 8.1 lengths behind Instant Celebrity when the pair returned to racing.

She won three of her first four starts, including the Listed Dequetteville Stakes and Group 3 National Stakes in Adelaide, and faces a tricky barrier, drawn wide in gate 11. The Mick Huxtable-trained three-year-old is considered a $51 chance.

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