Age is no barrier
Daniel Harrold
ANZ News
Spring is in the air and two mares, at opposite ends of their careers, were to the fore in Sydney and Melbourne.
At Rosehill, the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou trained Chilly Girl (Trapeze Artist) stamped home her spring claims with a smart success in Saturday's The Rosebud (Listed, 1100m) to keep her unbeaten tag unblemished.
What's On
Entering the contest as a winner of the Widden Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) on debut, the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou trained filly proved herself to be the real deal as she stamped home a length victory in the lucrative Listed contest.
Ridden by Tim Clark, the daughter of Widden’s Trapeze Artist (Snitzel) sat off leader Blue Door (Stay Inside) and made her move at the 150 marker, coming home very strongly to overhaul the Strawberry Hill runner.
There was a further 1.1 lengths back to the third placed Central Europe (Frankel).
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"Chilly Girl jumped well, rolled forward and worked across with Blue Door,'' the winning rider said.
"I found its back and I thought it would take me everywhere I needed to go, which it did.
"She still got a little bit lost when I had to come off Blue Door's back and had to really chase after it.
"But I loved the way she knuckled down late, she was very determined. It was a really strong win, she has come back in great order.''
Ryan is looking ahead to the Furious Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) and Tea Rose Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) for his filly before a potential crack at the top level, having been sidelined with a hamstring injury following her debut victory.
"It was good for Bert to see Chilly Girl win as he's been very patient,'' Ryan said.
"We will go to the Furious Stakes next and then the Tea Rose Stakes.
"After we get her out to 1400 metres in the Tea Rose, then we will decide if try her at a mile for the Flight Stakes or go back to the shorter races.''
Foaled and raised at Widden Stud, Chilly Girl is the 13th foal and tenth winner out of the stakes winning General Nediym (Nediym) mare I Got Chills. A precocious two-year-old and debut winner of the Maribyrnong Trial (Listed, 1000m) by over four lengths, I Got Chills made a name for herself at her second start scoring by seven lengths in the St Albans S. (Listed, 1000m) before injury forced her off the scene for over a year. She failed to fire on her return as a four-year-old and retired after just four starts and was subsequently sold for $540,000 at the 2007 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Select Broodmare Sale - a good return, despite the injury heartache and lay off, having been purchased as a yearling for $36,000 by Mark Pilkington at the Inglis Premier Sale.
“It was good for Bert to see Chilly Girl win as he's been very patient
Despite going to some of the best stallions in the country, Flying Spur (Danehill), Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) and More Than Ready (Southern Halo) and those progeny being bought by the likes of George Moore, Gai Waterhouse, James Harron, Chris Waller - I Got Chills never produced a stakes horse and was purchased by Bert Vieira in 2014 for $240,000 at the same Magic Millions Broodmare Sale. Matings to Fastnet Rock (Danehill), Sepoy (Elusive Quality) and Vancouver (Medaglia D’Oro) followed with some success, I Got Chills has produced 10 winners from 10 runners, but the blacktype success that she achieved in her first two races eluded all of her progeny - until now. Covered by her breeders own stallion Trapeze Artist (Snitzel) in her final seasons, I Got Chills was retired from service at the age of 20 and seems to have saved her best for last. Her last foal is Chilly Girl, a filly with the same unbeaten early record as her dam and the only one retained by her breeder. Some mares it seems, save their best for last.
TAB Rosebud (LR)
Show
TAB Rosebud (LR)
$200,000, Rosehill, 3yo, 1100m, Soft(5)
-
Chilly Girl (AUS) 3 b F 56kg
Trapeze Artist (AUS) - I Got Chills (AUS), by General Nediym (AUS)
2nd Dam: Tidfish (AUS), by Imperial Prince (IRE)
3rd Dam: Stephia (AUS), by Golden Orange (GB)
B: Vieira Group Pty Ltd NSW T: G Ryan & S Alexiou J: Tim Clark -
Blue Door (AUS) 3 b F 56kg
Stay Inside (AUS) - Notting Hill (AUS), by Pierro (AUS)
B: Armitage Australia Llc NSW T: Bjorn Baker J: Rachel King
-
Central Europe (AUS) 3 b C 57kg
Frankel (GB) - Tiggy Wiggy (IRE), by Kodiac (GB)
B: Katom NSW T: C J Waller J: J B Mc Donald
Margins: 1 lens, 1.1 lens. Time: 1:03.35 (last 600m 33.76)
Betting: $6.50, $3.50, $5.50
Then followed: Castillo King (AUS), Half Pipe (AUS), Under Focus (AUS), Hostwin King (AUS), Eviction Notice (AUS), She's Extra (AUS), Royal Exile (AUS), Queen Regent (AUS), Suasion (AUS), Write Me a Letter (AUS), last.
1st dam: I GOT CHILLS, by General Nediym. 2 wins at 2, A$142,000, VRC Maribyrnong Trial S., L, MVRC St Albans S., L, 3d MVRC NSD Homes H. Dam of-
2009 g. Powerful Spur, by Flying Spur. Winner at 1200m in Macau.
2010 g.
The Yowie, by Redoute's Choice. 8 wins from 1000m to 1700m, A$143,745, Ipswich
TC Optus Business Centre H., 2d MVRC Sportingbet 2YO P., MRC Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa
P., Hyland Race Colours P., 3d VRC Nursery P., SAJC Centrebet 2YO H., MRC TVN P.
2011 g.
Electrifyin', by Redoute's Choice. 2 wins at 1200m, 1550m, A$103,505, ATC Ogalo
H., 2d ATC James Boag's Premium H., PKF H., TAB Rewards H., More Than Ready at Vinery H., 3d ATC
Testa Rossa at Vinery P., More Than Ready 2YO H., McGrath Estate Agents Vic H., TAB Rewards H.,
TAB Place Multi H., Shop With the TAB App H.
2012 g. Muscle Truck, by Redoute's Choice.
Winner at 1200m, 3d ATC All Too Hard at Vinery P.
2013 g. Windcatcher, by
More Than Ready. 2 wins at 1300m, 1400m, 3d Ipswich TC Remax A1 Property
Services H.
2014 g. Endow, by Sepoy. 2 wins at 1000m, 1200m in Aust.
2015
f. Jin Xiu Nian Hua, by Sepoy. Unraced.
2016 f. Windchill, by Fastnet Rock.
Winner at 1400m in Aust.
2017 c. I Got Pride, by Pride of Dubai.
Unraced.
2019 g. Ice General, by Vancouver. Unraced.
2020 f. by Trapeze Artist.
Died.
2021 g. Johnny the Kid, by Trapeze Artist. Winner at 1550m,
A$105,435, ATC Marcellin College H., 2d ATC TAB 2YO H., 3d ATC Street Boss H.
2022 f.
Chills 'n' Thrills, by Trapeze Artist. Winner at 2 in Aust.2023
CHILLY GIRL (f by Trapeze Artist). 2 wins-1 at 2-at 1100m,
A$250,000, to 2026-27, ATC Widden S., Gr.3, Rosebud H., L.
Meanwhile, over at Caulfield, Home Affairs (I Am Invincible) filly Natural Fling got her season off to the best start also with a success in the Quezette Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m).
The Tony and Calvin McEvoy trained three-year-old won on debut before a second placing in the Magic Millions National 2YO Classic (1000m), and took out Saturday’s event in style.
Ridden by Damian Lane, Natural Fling made most of the running and kicked clear inside the final 250 metres to pull a whole four lengths clear of Rosemont Stud’s Scintillation (I Am Invincible).
There was a further 0.8 lengths back to the third placed Oh Yes She Did (Yes Yes Yes).
“We had to pay good money for her at the sales, but we have really good owners in her
Offered at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Natural Fling was purchased by McEvoy Mitchell Racing alongside Belmont Bloodstock for a fee of $550,000.
"We had to pay good money for her at the sales, but we have really good owners in her and they stumped up the cash to buy into a Home Affairs filly," Calvin McEvoy said.
"These colours are famous within our stables and we've always had her at the front of the bus in our team of two-year-olds and now three-year-olds, and her trial was fantastic, so for her to come here and back it up in a great race, it's so pleasing.
"She's grown up this preparation and she was impressive, she put a gap on a quality field.”
The McEvoy stable are no strangers to the Quezette Stakes, having won it in 2018 with top mare Sunlight (Zoustar), who raced in the same silks and would later land the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
“We won this race with a filly [Sunlight] that carried the same colours, who was very good, and this filly may be like her,” McEvoy said.
"There is the Cap D'antibes which comes up at Flemington, there is the Coolmore which would be a great race to win, and we may even consider the Moir with no weight.
"They are all good options. She is now a Group winner which is so important for the pedigree and I don't think that is the end for her."
Bred by Australian Bloodstock, Natural Fling was foaled and raised at Yarraman Park and is a half sister to the Group 3 placed winner Wootton Lass (Wootton Bassett) being out of The Natural (Fastnet Rock), herself a winning half sister by to dual Group 1 winner Fiveandahalfstar (Hotel Grand) and to the dam of Group 1 winner El Castello (Castelvecchio).
The Natural was covered by Too Darn Hot (Dubawi) last season and has a juvenile colt by Brave Smash
(Tosen Phantom) that was sold in the Yarraman draft at Inglis Classic for $300,000 to Graham Begg
Racing and Rohan Hughes Bloodstock.
With two black type fillies from her first two
runners, The Natural is a young mare, that appears to be very well named.
Quayclean Quezette Stakes (GR 3)
Show
Quayclean Quezette Stakes (GR 3)
$200,000, Caulfield, 3yo, 1100m, Soft(6)
-
Natural Fling (AUS) 3 b F 56kg
Home Affairs (AUS) - The Natural (AUS), by Fastnet Rock (AUS)
2nd Dam: Cryptic Miss (AUS), by Snippets (AUS)
3rd Dam: Cross Words (NZ), by Grosvenor (NZ)
B: Australian Bloodstock NSW T: T & C McEvoy J: Damian Lane
$550,000, Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale 2025
V: Yarraman Stud
P: McEvoy Mitchell Racing/Belmont B/stock Agency FBAA
-
Scintillation (AUS) 3 b F 56kg
I Am Invincible (AUS) - Minhaaj (AUS), by Exceed and Excel (AUS)
B: Rosemont Stud VIC T: John O'Shea & Tom Charlton J: B Melham
-
Oh Yes She Did (AUS) 3 br F 56kg
Yes Yes Yes (AUS) - Lanikai (AUS), by I Am Invincible (AUS)
B: Mr W Lovatt NSW T: Peter Snowden J: C Schofield
Margins: 4 lens, 0.8 lens. Time: 1:03.90 (last 600m)
Betting: $2.40, $16.00, $13.00
Then followed: Portinari (AUS), Riverina Lulu (AUS), Lady Catalina (AUS), Shiki (AUS), Almost an Angel (AUS), Lara Antipova (AUS), Rebel Tuesday (AUS), Santa Barbara (AUS), Flying Fury (AUS), Stars of Dom (AUS), Relinquishing (AUS), Superbec (AUS), Satin Summer (AUS), last.
1st dam: THE NATURAL, by Fastnet Rock. 3 wins at 1200m, 1250m, A$80,725, SAJC Nova 919 P., Gawler & Barossa JC GBJC Thanks It's Members H., 2d MVRC Ladbrokes Odds H. Dam of-2022 Wootton Lass (f by Wootton Bassett). 2 wins-1 at 2-at 1000m, 1100m, A$142,100, to 2025-26, ATC Victor Ludorum 2YO H., Asahi Super Dry H., 3d Hawkesbury Guineas, Gr.3, ATC Star H.2023 NATURAL FLING (f by Home Affairs). 2 wins-1 at 2-at 1100m, A$384,100, to 2026-27, MRC Quezette S., Gr.3, Sportsbet Feed 2YO H., 2d GCTC Magic Millions National Classic.
2024 c. The Whiz, by Brave Smash. Unraced.
