Unassuming filly reveals another side at trials

Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

Written by Paul Vettise

The well-related Chaleur Bay (Snitzel) has kept her talent to herself at home and gave co-trainer Gerald Ryan a pleasant surprise with her winning performance at the Rosehill trials.

The 2-year-old boasts an impressive pedigree, but until Monday morning had showed few signs of potentially being able to back it up with racetrack performance.

That all changed when she showed gate speed to cross her fellow juvenile fillies from a wide barrier and was out on her own on straightening. She coasted home and was kept under a good hold by rider Robbie Dolan to be 3.3l clear at the end of her 900 metre heat.

“That surprised me because she’s showed nothing. When I legged Robbie on I said 'she’s a lovely, quiet filly and does everything right except gallop fast',” Ryan said.

He is perhaps best known as the trainer of the G1 Oakleigh Plate winner and champion sire Snitzel and Chaleur Bay isn’t the first by the Arrowfield Stud-based stallion to have fooled Ryan early on.

“I don’t mind them when they’re like that at home. I had a son of Snitzel called Time For War that showed nothing until he started racing,” he said.

“I had Trapeze Artist, also by Snitzel, who was not a good trackworker at all. A maiden horse would beat him and then he’d come out and win a Group 1.”

Chaleur Bay was bred and sold by Gerry Harvey’s Baramul Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $340,000 with Sun Bloodstock signing on the dotted line.

She is a daughter of Serenada (Encosta De Lago), who won four races and has enjoyed success at stud as the dam of the G3 Canonbury S. winner McLaren (Exceed And Excel) and multiple winner Cao Cao (Fastnet Rock), who was runner-up in the G3 Maribyrnong Plate.

Serenada is a half-sister to the Group 2 winners First Command (Commands) and Oneworld (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and they are out of River Serenade (Hurricane Sky), a sister to the G1 Oakleigh Plate winner River Dove, dam of the G2 Silver Slipper S. winner and Vinery Stud sire Headwater.

Ryan will continue to take Chaleur Bay along quietly and hasn’t made any plans to take her to the races in the immediate future.

“She’s only ever had one jump-out and this trial so she will trial again before she goes to the races and hopefully she can keep on doing this,” Ryan said.

“She’s a very quiet filly around the stables. She can get a bit revvy coming off the track, but other than that she is an unassuming thing.”

Arrowfield youngsters impress

Two other well-related daughters of Snitzel to shine were the Arrowfield Stud-bred and raced pair of Yearning, trained by Team Hawkes, and the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Chimes. The former led all the way and was kept under a good rein in the straight by rider Tommy Berry.

Yearning is the first foal of the G1 Australian Oaks winner Rising Romance (NZ) (Ekraar {USA}) while Chimes is from the family of three-time Group 1 winner Alizee (Sepoy), G1 Golden Rose S. winner and sire Astern and the Golden Gift winner and sire Tassort.

Three of the four 900 metre heats for the 2-year-old colts and geldings were won by youngsters from Chris Waller’s stable.

Best Side (Not A Single Doubt) was ridden by James McDonald and was bought out of Coolmore’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale draft for $650,000 by Paul Moroney and is from the family of Group 1 winners Vow And Declare (Declaration Of War {USA}), Hauraki (Reset) and Kidnapped (Viscount).

Kalino (Pierro) was partnered by Tommy Berry and was a $210,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale buy for Star Thoroughbreds and the Randwick Bloodstock Agency. He was offered by Tyreel Stud and is from the same family as Chaleur Bay.

The last of Waller’s winning juvenile acts was Starman (Zoustar) in McDonald’s hands and was secured by Tom Magnier for $500,000 out of Bowness Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft. He is out of a half-sister to stakes winners Johnny Reb (Naturalism {NZ}) and Power Of Pegasus (NZ) (Palace Music {USA}).