Trainer Annabel Archibald got a welcome, morale-lifting call from a top jockey right after Chayan endured a frustrating effort finishing out of the placings in the Blue Diamond. “Where is Chayan going next,” the jockey said. “She will go where you can ride her,” Archibald replied.
The caller turned out to be star jockey James McDonald, who partnered Chayan at Royal Randwick on Saturday, propelling her into Golden Slipper contention with a dominant victory in the Group 2 $300,000 Reisling Stakes (1200m).
Chayan ($3.10) powered away from her competitors to score by an increasing three lengths over Agrarian Girl ($2.70 favourite), with Miss Chanel ($10) just a half-length further back in 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 claimed her maiden win at her third attempt and has now qualified for the $5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 21.
Archibald noted that Chayan had displayed considerable ability from the outset but encountered misfortune in her initial two outings. “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 previously took out the Reisling Stakes with Learning To Fly in 2023, though that filly met with mishap by falling during the Golden Slipper victory of 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 out of super sire I Am Invincible, fetched $250,000 at last year’s Magic Millions Yearling Sale. “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-prepared Agrarian Girl and Miss Chanel filled the minor placings, with the former boosting her earnings beyond $180,000 to likely secure Golden Slipper entry.
Bott praised Agrarian Girl’s performance after leading for much of the race, despite slipping in the barriers which required a vet check, and needing a stallion chain in the mounting yard due to pre-race agitation. “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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