Star 2YO filly Chayan (I Am Invincible) and well-related G2 winner Philia (All Too Hard) are amongst the first confirmed supplementary entries for The Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
The Annabel and Rob Archibald-trained Chayan will presents as one of the most exciting opportunities in recent memory for owners and breeders to acquire a race filly with incalculable upside.
Chayan has raced just four times, winning the G2 Reisling Stakes at Rosehill last month by three lengths in what was arguably the most dominant single performance of a 2YO this season.
The regard in which that effort was held by various form analysts saw Chayan sent off favourite for the G1 Golden Slipper, when the demands of a first racing preparation eventually took their toll.
Prior to that she debuted with a 0.8 length 2nd in the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude behind subsequent G1 winner Streisand - a contender for Champion 2YO following her Blue Diamond victory and G1 Golden Slipper 2nd placing - before being beaten just 2 lengths in the G1 Blue Diamond when posted wide for the duration of the 1200m event.
Chayan will be offered by owner Eric Koh in the Newgate Consignment at The Chairman’s Sale as a racing and breeding prospect.
Koh described Chayan as “a special filly’’.
“She’s very focused, she’s very talented and she just keeps improving, she is a special filly that has her entire racing and breeding career ahead of her,’’ Koh said.
“Her win in the Reisling was ultra impressive, she was eased down in the closing stages and the fact James McDonald chased us for the ride is a strong indication of just how good this filly is, if the World’s Best Jockey wanted to be part of her journey from so early on.
“The authority with which she won that day showed just how good she is. She then started favourite in the Golden Slipper but things just didn’t pan out for her and she was still only beaten 4 lengths.
“She has so much potential and has only just started out, she’s already proven at Group 2 level, she’s a very good type and has so much upside, being a daughter of I Am Invincible.’’
When asked why he was selling Chayan, Koh said: “I’ve been receiving several calls from interested parties wanting to buy her and then [Inglis’ International Business Development Manager] Nicky Wong rang and said he and the Inglis team had had a meeting and felt Chayan would be very popular if she was entered at The Chairman’s Sale and that got me thinking that it might be the fairest way to sell her so I don’t disappoint anyone by saying no to their offer.
“I’ve been to a Chairman’s Sale before and it’s such a classy event, very reputable and one of the best sales in the world.’’
Another hugely desirable supplementary entry is Philia, a G2-winning daughter of blue hen Meerlust and thus a half sister to multiple G1 winner Duais and three-quarter sister to Baccarat Baby.
Philia racked up four consecutive victories ahead of and during last year’s Brisbane Winter Carnival including a stylish win in the G2 The Roses at Doomben, when she beat the likes of You Wahng, Verona Rose, Benagil, Polymnia etc.
She will be offered in the Widden draft at The Chairman’s Sale.
“Philia possess all the attributes breeders are looking for in an elite broodmare prospect,’’ Widden’s Antony Thompson said.
“We raised her at Widden, so we know her and the whole family well. Each and every year Meerlust breeds good looking foals and Philia is no exception, she is a very good sort.
“It’s a very active family, as we saw with Baccarat Baby’s Toronado 2YO achieving the highest price of the breeze-up sale season at $900,000 and he is now in training with Chris Waller and well regarded by all accounts.
“The first foal of another half sister, Amiche, was bought by Waterhouse/Bott at the Easter Sale last week, so there is plenty happening and a lot more to come I would expect.”
Inglis Bloodstock Sales Manager Harry Bailey was “ecstatic” to add both Chayan and Philia to the catalogue.
“It is so incredibly rare that a filly the quality of Chayan gets offered at public auction at this stage of her career and she represents an opportunity that is pretty unprecedented in terms of recent Australian auction history,” Bailey said.
“I believe she was the highest-rated 2YO in Australia in the eyes of some analysts following her Reisling win and it’s hard not to think that all her best racing is in front of her.
“We have had our eye on Philia for a long time and to be honest were resigned to the fact that we wouldn’t be able to get her, but all’s well that ends well and she is another great addition to what is already a very appealing catalogue.
“I am very hopeful that the sale already contains a high proportion of the best fillies and mares that will be offered to market this year and we are working hard to strengthen the catalogue further before it is finalised later this month.’’
Chayan and Philia join a significant group of high class fillies and mares set to be offered at The Chairman’s Sale including G1 Goodwood Handicap winner Benedetta, triple G1 winner Provence, millionaire mares Arabian Summer and Generosity, quality race fillies and mares such as Ahha Ahha, Appin Girl, Cashel Palace, Cosmonova, Dark Glitter, Eternal Flame, Good Banter, Infancy, In Flight, Jennilala, Just Feelin’ Lucky, Mare Of Mt Buller, Miss Icelandic, Snow In May, Spicy Martini, Terra Mater, The Black Cloud, The Playwright, Tiger Shark etc, Aeliana’s half sister Sunshine In Capri, Classique Legend’s half sister I Am Famous, as well as the dams of the G1 Golden Slipper quinella in Guest House and Streisand and the dam of G1-winning 2YO Captured By Love etc.
The Chairman’s Sale will be held at Riverside on the evening of Thursday May 7.
Supplementary entries must close at 5pm on Friday April 24.
To enter, talk to a member of the Inglis bloodstock team or CLICK HERE.
