Just three months back, Chayan was not viewed as a Golden Slipper contender.
Actually, co-trainer Annabel Archibald intended to spell the filly without an official barrier trial.
However, a routine jump-out altered those plans, transforming Chayan’s outlook.
‘She had an unofficial jump-out at Christmas and I said to Eric Koh, her owner, “she will probably just have this jump out and go out” because mentally, she was a little bit hot,’ Archibald recalled.
‘But she jumped out really well and really relaxed after that. She started mentally going the right way.
‘We sent her down to Melbourne and she had those couple of runs there, and I think that has held her in really good stead.’
During her pair of Victorian outings, Chayan placed second in the Blue Diamond Fillies’ Prelude (1100m) and came home seventh from a wide barrier in the Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) after a challenging trip.
Back in Sydney, her form prompted connections to enter her in a Golden Slipper preparatory event.
Chayan comprehensively dominated her Reisling Stakes (1200m) opponents by three lengths, earning a spot in Saturday’s elite field, and with barrier 12, she now stands as the outright Slipper favourite.
Archibald noted the filly has met all requirements since her latest outing, highlighted by a strong gallop on the track during Tuesday’s key workout.
‘I couldn’t be any happier with her. She started her campaign off in Melbourne and didn’t have much luck with the draws down there, but ran really well,’ she said.
‘It was pleasing to see her come up here and put it all together. All of the ratings guys said she ran really good time, and the figures were good, and that’s all we can ask for as a last start heading into this race.’
Contending in a Golden Slipper with a strong contender is familiar for Archibald, having prepared the then-unbeaten Learning To Fly for the 2023 edition at $6.50 odds.
Archibald called that run a ‘character-building’ ordeal after the filly stumbled sharply before the straight and unseated jockey Chad Schofield.
This year, trainer and jockey oppose each other, with Schofield riding Stretan Ruler for Phillip Stokes, who powered home to win the Silver Slipper (1100m) decisively and closed strongly for second in the leader-favouring Todman Stakes (1200m).
Schofield has partnered him in his last two races and views the Victorian as a genuine threat.
‘I just think he wants tempo,’ Schofield said.
‘In the Silver Slipper, we got tempo. It was free-flowing, and he unlocked that devastating turn of foot.
‘The other day in the Todman, it was just a trot and canter and a dash home for three hundred metres. He was still really good, but if we get a solidly run 1200 metres, which the Slipper generally is, we will see the best of him. And I think the best of him is going to be hard to beat.’
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