Elusive Touch continued his rise through the ranks when taking out Saturday’s Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap at Flemington.

Elusive Touch (5g Elusive Quality-Shelbourne Lass) was bred by Limerick Lane Thoroughbreds and was an $800,000 buy out of the Darley Stud draft at the 2007 Inglis Easter yearling sale.  He is now the winner of four races in nine starts, with the promise of more to come, having won a race long regarded as a springboard to spring stardom.

Elusive Touch showed promise under Tim Martin in Sydney before transferring to Mark Kavanagh.  He won at Rosehill last December, but has taken a real shine to Melbourne, in particular the straight six at Flemington, where he has now won twice and been an unlucky second in his only other run.

He becomes the first stakes winner for former dual Group 3 winning Brocco mare Shelbourne Lass, who has the perfect record of all three runners to date being winners.  It is the family of former Champion New Zealand 2YO Vinaka and multiple Group 2 winner Skoozi Please.

It capped a good day at Flemington for Easter graduates by Elusive Quality.  Earlier, Darley’s promising three-year-old Censor made it three wins from as many starts in winning over 1400m.  He was a $150,000 buy at the 2009 Inglis Easter yearling sale.  

Censor (3c Elusive Quality-Glasnost) is a descendant of the great Emancipation from a family that includes Caulfield Cup winner Railings, one-time record priced multiple Group 1 winning mare Virage De Fortune and last season’s three times Group 3 winner Avenue.