Emotions ran high at Flemington on Saturday when the Testa Rossa mare Chaillot added a second stakes to her record nearly two years after her first.
Fetlock injuries and issues with her jaw have restricted the 4yo Chaillot to just seven starts.
The Archie Alexander-trained mare looked to be among the best two-year-olds around when she towelled up Super Seth in the Listed Anzac Day Stakes at Flemington in 2019.
Last spring, she finished third, beaten a half-length, in the Group III Ladies Day Vase at Caulfield, fourth in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes at Flemington, beaten three-quarters of a length, before finishing midfield in the Group II Matriarch Stakes at Flemington, two and a half lengths behind the winner Affair To Remember.
Chaillot had Affair To Remember and the Empire Rose Stakes winner Shout The Bar against her when she made her 2021 bow in Saturday’s Furphy Ale Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m).
The betting suggested she would run a big race and she didn’t disappoint.
With Declan Bates in the saddle, Chaillot launched down the centre of the track from near the tail of the field to defeat Need New Friends (Shamus Award) by a long-neck with a further length back to Shout The Bar (Not A Single Doubt) in third.
“Once I saw Declan peeling out and building, that’s how she runs well,” Alexander said.
”In the Matriarch we didn’t see the best of her. When I saw him peel out to the outside I thought I’ve got a lot of faith in her and I thought she’d get there.
“She’s just too good and at the same time she never does too much. She’s actually quite smart, I don’t think you’ll ever see her win by a couple of lengths, she’s always ‘just’ going to win.
“A big effort. She hasn’t been a straightforward horse and Declan rides her very well.”
“Now I think we’re over everything, hopefully. We had a tricky three-year-old year with her, but I think with confidence everything is coming together now and she is thriving with racing and she is really enjoying life. She comes here a really confident mare.”
Sporting the silks of OTI Racing, Chaillot advances her record to four wins and a third from seven starts with earnings of $296,950.
Bred by Gerry Harvey, Chaillot was a $25,000 purchase by Alexander Racing/McKeever Bloodstock out of the Baramul Stud draft at the 2018 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
She is the best of four winner from five to race out of the Encosta de Lago mare Mary Of Modena who is a half-sister to the dam of the Champion 2YO in Singapore in 2016, Lim's Racer (Red Giant), from the family of Group 1 AJC Champagne Stakes winner Isolda (Sir Tristram).
Mary Of Modena has a 2yo filly by Press Statement name Headline Queen and a yearling colt by Star Turn.
She had a filly foal by The Autumn Sun who was foaled in New Zealand and was covered by Tarzino last spring.
Chaillot is one of 66 stakes-winner for Vinery stud’s pensioned Testa Rossa.
The 6-time Group 1 winning son of Perugino has two colts and a filly, now yearlings, from his 18th season and final season at stud in 2018.
