Chilly Girl too hot for her Widden Stakes rivals
A ‘quality filly’ is the way co-trainer Sterling Alexiou described Chilly Girl (Trapeze Artist) after she made a successful debut in landing Saturday’s Widden Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) at Rosehill.
A daughter of Widden Stud’s Trapeze Artist (Snitzel), the filly had made promising strides in two 900-metre Rosehill trials ahead of her competitive debut, winning one and running second in the other.
Ridden by Tim Clark, the filly moved her way up to an $11 third-elect for March’s Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) with an all-the-way victory from barrier two.
Sent forward by her rider, Chilly Girl grabbed the fence from her inside draw and, having looked slightly vulnerable approaching the final 400 metres, found plenty under pressure to turn away the late challenge of Miss Chanel (Tagaloa) by 0.4 lengths. Hardanger (Pinatubo) finished a further 2.3 lengths back in third place.
Interestingly, the fillies ran 1:03.82s, which was narrowly faster than the time of the Canonbury for colts and geldings one race earlier that was run in 1:04.03s.
“I don’t think she could have done any more,” Alexiou, who trains in partnership with Gerald Ryan, said.
“That was really impressive. I was hoping she’d get it a bit softer than that but ‘J Mac’ [James McDonald on Miss Scandal] pressed the button on coming out of the gates and applied quite a bit of pressure throughout.
“She was good enough and seasoned enough to kick away and hold a bit of a margin late. I’m really happy to see her do that at her first start.
“She’s bombproof. You wouldn’t think she is a two-year-old filly having her first start at her home track. She is a little gem.”
Alexiou confirmed Chilly Girl would be aimed towards the Golden Slipper, via the fillies’ races, provided she continues her upward curve.
“As long as she keeps going the right way,” he said. “How far she goes, I’m not sure, but we will give her every chance.
“We haven’t got a lot of autumn two-year-olds. A lot of ours are going to be end of the autumn into the winter. She would be top of the tree at the minute, more so because of her professionalism.”
Clark, who had rode Chilly Girl for her trial win on January 13, was pleased to keep the partnership.
“She trialled up well, I was really impressed with the feel she gave me. Today she was just really relaxed before the start and I had to ‘stoke’ her up early to hold my position,” he said.
“She’s a really sweet filly to ride, she has a great mindset and that will take her a long way.”
Chilly Girl is the tenth winner and first stakes winner from ten foals to race out of the stakes-winning General Nediym (Nediym) mare I Got Chills, who was retired from stud duties after Chilly Girl was born.
Trapeze Artist, who was siring his tenth individual stakes winner courtesy of Chilly Girl’s success, stood the 2025 breeding season at a fee of $33,000 (inc GST).