Broodmare paddock calling Chantilly Lace

[Wandering Eyes]

Multiple stakes winner Chantilly Lace has plenty of credentials to take into life as a broodmare, which may come swiftly after her recent mating with Windsor Park Stud’s exciting new shuttle stallion Paddington.

The daughter of U S Navy Flag has a multitude of black-type to her name with victories in the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) and Listed Wanganui Guineas (1200m), alongside placings in the Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m), Listed Futurity Stakes (1400m) and Listed Oaks Prelude (1800m).

Bambry, who owns Chantilly Lace alongside her parents Tony and Judith Bambry, will continue to race the mare over the coming months, kicking off in the AR Painters Handicap (1400m) at Otaki on Saturday.

“She nearly won last start, she was just pipped at the line,” Bambry said.

“She’s been served by Paddington and we’ll find out next week whether she’s in foal, so she missed a little bit of work and may need the run on Saturday.

“They can race up to 120 days, so she’ll probably keep racing until the end of the year so hopefully we can win back her service fee.”

Also on the Otaki card, Bambry will have a pair of homebred fillies lining up in the Cavallo Farms and Chris Rutten Bloodstock 2YO (800m), with Ensign Aria and Blondmoon.

Ensign Aria has had a pair of race-day starts to date, while Blondmoon, a daughter of the Bambry’s five-win mare Blondlign, will make her debut. 

“Ensign Aria is a filly that has shown us a bit of ability, she’s a natural early type but with a lack of two-year-old trials down here in the CD, it made sense to give her further education at the races,” Bambry said.

“She’s been a little bit green at her first two starts, but hopefully the race experience will hold her in good stead for Saturday.

“Blondmoon has done a lot of education as well, she’s done plenty of jump-outs and she’s a quick little filly.

“She’s out of a mare that was very good to us, and with three kilos off, I think she’ll be a big chance as well.”

Alongside the pair, Bambry has a number of young stock coming through her stable, many of which the family have bred or co-bred themselves.  

“It’s really satisfying to see them going to the races, Mark and Lorraine Forbes break all of ours in and the horses go up to them in January, so they’ve been well-educated early on,” she said.

“That is probably the important thing in getting them running early.

“Mark and Lorraine do a great job with them, they do their second prep and they basically come to me like little racehorses. It’s nice to have a system that works for us.

“Those two are probably the most natural two-year-old’s of the dozen that I have here, so it’s nice to see them out on the track.”

Bambry will keep a close eye on the weather forecast when considering a start for The Finnster in the Vets On Riverbank Handicap (2100m), while Lets Get Loose will take her place in the Tim Faith Memorial (1600m).

The Turn Me Loose mare capped off a string of good performances with her maiden success at Woodville last month, with apprentice Elle Sole retaining the ride on Saturday.

“It was a really satisfying result, she’s a little mare but she’s got a huge heart and tries so hard,” Bambry said.

“If they all tried as hard as her, it would be an easy game.

“It’s a big step-up in grade and now the tracks are getting a bit firmer, she may be looking for a bit more ground. But, we’ve got to step up at some stage, so she can go there and then there’s a nice 1800m race for her in a couple of weeks.”

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