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Exciting filly Instant Celebrity will have an important hit-out ahead of her 2021 Adelaide Racing Carnival campaign at Friday’s Morphettville trials.
The Phillip Stokes-trained filly created a big impression last year, winning her first four races, including the Group 2 Tranquil Star over 1400m at Caulfield, before she was beaten into third place in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m).
Tommy Stokes said the filly had arrived back in Adelaide in very good order.
"She hasn't been here long, she arrived Tuesday morning and looks fantastic," Stokes said.
"I haven't seen her in the flesh for a while and she looks to have really improved in her looks which has us all pretty excited."
Instant Celebrity is among early nominations for Saturday week's $107,250 Redelva Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville, a race the stable won in 2015 with Éclair Choice. Instant Celebrity's campaign is geared around the $502,250 Group 1 TAB Classic (Sangster Stakes) (1200m) at Morphettville on May 1.
A tilt at the $502,250 Group 1 Furphy Goodwood two weeks later is also a possibility.
"She'll go to Redelva and then the Sangster," Stokes said.
"She'll have a light prep, maybe one more after the Sangster and then target the spring.
"We haven't locked anything in, but the Goodwood could also be an option. I'd say the two Group 1 races will be the target."
Stokes said Instant Celebrity had a quiet jump-out back in Victoria before coming to Adelaide and would have a decent hit-out at the trials with Kayla Crowther in the saddle.
"She's had a soft jump-out at Pakenham," Stokes said.
"She looked very good under double wraps. She'll have a decent hit-out tomorrow which should tighten her up nicely for the Redelva.
"She won't have to do much on the track after tomorrow."
Top-flight sprinter Kemalpasa will step out in the same trial, his first public appearance since running a narrow third in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plates at Caulfield in February before he was forced to miss the Newmarket Handicap with a stone bruise.
The trials will also see the return of Christmas Handicap winner Savatoxl for the McEvoy stable along with an impressive last-start Morphettville winner Echoes In Eternity. There will also be plenty of interest in the three two-year-old trials, with recent Morphettville winner Karacasu among those stepping out.
