Mrs Chrissie makes bold return

[Wandering Eyes]

New Zealand-bred mare Mrs Chrissie began a new campaign in style at Caulfield on Boxing Day with a commanding front-running performance in the A$65,000 Ken Sturt Handicap (1100m).

The Benchmark 70 Handicap was the Per Incanto mare’s first appearance since early July, and she brought a strong fresh-up record into the race – recording two wins and a placing from four previous starts in that state.

She added another win to that record on Tuesday, sliding forward from gate four and dominating the race from the front for apprentice jockey Carleen Hefel. She had Rubicon Crossing keeping her company on her outside until the home turn, but then Mrs Chrissie kicked away from that rival in the straight and drew clear to score by two and a quarter lengths.

“She loved it today,” Hefel said. “She was relaxed and jumped super and was really strong to the line. She’s a bit stronger this time in, I think. She feels really good.”

Mrs Chrissie has now had 10 starts for three wins and three placings, banking A$106,925 in stakes for her ownership group.

Co-trainer Ciaron Maher believes Mrs Chrissie is coming into her own as a five-year-old.

“Her development has been good,” he said. “She does have a very, very good fresh record and had trialled well, so we were reasonably confident. But it was a good ride by Carleen, taking luck out of it and going forward, and it was a pretty easy watch today.”

Mrs Chrissie was bred by Chris Doak & Rosie Ealden and was exported to Australia as a unraced two-year-old. She is out of the O’Reilly mare Turf Fire, who herself won nine races and placed in the Gr.3 Stewards’ Stakes (1200m).

Turf Fire is the dam of three winners from five foals to race, headed by the stakes-placed Don Carlo.

Turf Fire produced fillies by Time Test in 2019, Per Incanto in 2020 and Super Seth in 2021.

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