Chantilly Lace claims Castletown Stakes

[Wandering Eyes]

Chantilly Lace winning the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui on Saturday. Photo: Race Images Palmerston North

It was a popular win at Wanganui on Saturday when Chantilly Lace demolished her rivals in the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m).

The daughter of U S Navy Flag headed into the race in great form, having placed in the Listed Auckland Futurity Stakes (1400m) at her previous outing, and trainer Chrissy Bambry was confident of another bold showing in Saturday’s juvenile feature.

Chantilly Lace didn’t disappoint, running out a 10-length victor following a positive ride from apprentice jockey Lily Sutherland.

“She is a little ripper. She just tries really hard and has got a heap of ability,” said Bambry, who shares in the ownership of the filly with her parents Judith and Tony.

“I was pretty confident today. She had come back from Pukekohe really well. Lily has done a lot of work at the jump outs and trials on her, so knows her well.

“She ran second to Carbonados at Taranaki (two starts back) and was hitting the line well, so I told her (Sutherland) to get going early. I felt like she had improved since Pukekohe and she won pretty easy.”

Chantilly Lace was set to have a rematch with Carbonados in the Castletown Stakes but the gelding was withdrawn from the race following his sale to offshore interests earlier in the week.

While Bambry was relieved to see her main rival scratched, she believes the result would have remained unchanged had the pair met once more.

“He was always going to be a danger, but I think she still would have done what she did today even if he was in the field,” Bambry said.

“He has obviously gone to Aussie, so it was a little bit of a relief that she didn’t have to get past one more.”

It was also a big day for Sutherland, who recorded her first stakes win in the saddle.

“It is really special,” Bambry said. “Lily is a really good kid, tries really hard and always follows up if she has ridden a horse.

“She deserves a stakes win next to her name because she works really hard.”

The victory was also a milestone for The Oaks Stud shuttle stallion U S Navy Flag, with Chantilly Lace’s win marking his first southern hemisphere stakes victory as a sire.

“She was his first southern hemisphere winner as well, so it is a great box to be ticked off by her,” Bambry said.

“She is a pretty smart filly and I think he is a sire to watch if they are anything like her. She has got a great attitude and loves racing.”

Chantilly Lace was purchased by Bambry out of Valachi Downs’ dispersal sale last year for $66,000 and she is delighted the filly has already rewarded her connections.

“We bought her from the Valachi dispersal sale to be a potential broodmare,” Bambry said.

“Now she has got that ever important black-type, especially as a two-year-old. It looks like it was money well spent and I am just lucky that Mum and Dad were happy that I spent some of their money.”

Chantilly Lace will now head for a spell in preparation for some spring targets.

“She can have a month in the paddock now and then come back for those three-year-old races,” Bambry said.

“She has got such a nice racing style, she relaxes beautifully, you can ride her anywhere, and I think she can get over a bit of ground as well.

“On better tracks she will be even better with that turn of foot.

“She is an exciting prospect for the spring.”

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