Racing
Chayan vaults into Golden Slipper
Trainer Annabel Archibald confident Chayan can be competitive in Slipper.
Trainer Annabel Archibald receiving a timely, confidence-boosting phone call from a high profile jockey soon after Chayan had a luckless run when unplaced in the Blue Diamond.
"Where is Chayan going next,'' the jockey said.
"She will go where you can ride her,'' Archibald replied.
The caller was champion jockey James Mcdonald and at Royal Randwick on Saturday he was in the saddle as Chayan vaulted into the Golden Slipper conversation with a brilliant win in the Group 2 $300,000 Reisling Stakes (1200m).
Chayan ($3.10) accelerated clear of her rivals to win by a widening three lengths from Agrarian Girl ($2.70 favourite) with Miss Chanel ($10) a half length away third.
"She's a really good filly and I'm grateful that Annabel and Rob (Archibald) put her in the race for me,'' McDonald said.
"They were tossing up whether to run her next week but I was adamant, I'm available for this race please run her here and she justified that.
"She's beautiful to deal with. She's got a lovely, good mind to her, just a strongly built two-year-old that's ready to rock and roll.
"I'd love her to go to the Percy Sykes instead of the Golden Slipper but we'll see how much pull I've got.''
Chayan broke her maiden at her third start and has secured a start in the $5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 21.
Archibald said Chayan had always shown plenty of natural talent but was luckless in her first two starts.
"She had no luck from the draw in the Blue Diamond, she was five-wide all the way,'' Archibald said.
"So, to come here today and win a Group 2 is very satisfying.
"We thought there would be a bit of speed and James said he just wanted to blend in and find some cover.
"I was happy when he got in and she was very strong late. It was a big win.''
Archibald won the Reisling Stakes with Learning To Fly in 2023 but that filly fell in the Golden Slipper won by Shinzo.
"Learning To Fly ended up a disaster (fell in the Golden Slipper,'' she said.
"Hopefully we can do better with Chayan. She is a very tough filly.
Chayan, a filly by super sire I Am Invincible, was purchased for $250,000 at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale last year.
"These 'Vinnie' fillies can get a bit 'hot' and she was a bit 'hot' in her first couple of preparations,'' Archibald said.
"If you said to me before Christmas that she would be going to the Golden Slipper I would have said 'no way'.
"But she has really mentally matured and seems to be getting better with every race.
"The Golden Slipper is very wide open this year so a lot will come down to barriers.
"The main thing is to see Chayan pull up well as she has the prizemoney to get into the race now.''
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Agrarian Girl and Miss Chanel ran the placings with the former taking her prizemoney over the $180,000 mark which should get her into the Golden Slipper.
Bott said Agrarian Girl's effort to lead most of the way was full of merit as the filly slipped over in the stalls prior to the race and needed a veterinary inspection before being passed fit to run.
Then Agrarian Girl needed a stallion chain in the mounting yard as she became a little stirred up pre-race so it was no surprise to see the filly going "hard'' under jockey Tim Clark.
"Under the circumstances, Agrarian Girl did very well to hold on for second,'' Bott said.
"Hopefully she has enough prizemoney to get int the Golden Slipper because she will improve off this run.''
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