By Tom Frary
Another Caravaggio, another TDN Rising Star as the highly impressive Contarelli Chapel (Ire) made her mark in a smart-looking field gathered for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden over near six furlongs at Naas on Monday. A half-sister to last year's G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Nassau S. heroine Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the January-foaled grey who races for Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor and Smith was marginally in front from the break and completely comfortable setting the pace under a motionless Ryan Moore. It was passing the two-furlong pole that Ballydoyle's 6-4 favourite really began to show her class and despite running green in the clear she was able to put 5 1/2 lengths between her and Juddmonte's Juncture (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), the well-regarded Ger Lyons-trained homebred. There was a neck between that relative of Promising Lead (GB) (Danehill) and Visit (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and the experienced Bolger homebred Freedom of Speech (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in what should prove a maiden worth following.
Aidan O'Brien already has the TDN Rising Star Tenebrism by Coolmore's first-season sire and it may be that he has to keep her and Contarelli Chapel apart. “She was never let off the bridle at home and we knew that she would be very green when he did drop her, but she was very impressive,” he said. “I would imagine she is an [June 18 G3] Albany-type filly. She might come back here [for the May 16] before that.”
From a pedigree point of view, Contarelli Chapel ticks all the boxes, as they say. Her dam Chenchikova (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), who had the speed to be fourth in the G3 Park Express S. over a mile in 2006, is a full-sister to the Ballydoyle luminary High Chaparral (Ire) and less-heralded but nevertheless smart Black Bear Island (Ire). A granddaughter of the French champion Kozana (GB) (Kris {GB}), she has produced a quartet of black-type performers with the aforementioned Fancy Blue clear best, G1SW-Eng, G1SW-Fr, SW & MG1SP-Ire, $741,195. Her others are this stable's G1 Dewhurst S. third Smuggler's Cove (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), SW-Ire, G1SP-Eng, $137,682, and his useful full-brothers Casterton (Ire), MSW & GSP-Fr, $163,024, and Fastnet Cyclone (Ire), SP-Aus, $212,185. Her 2020 filly is by Deep Impact's Saxon Warrior (Jpn). VIDEO.
1st-Naas, €15,500, Mdn, 4-26, 2yo, f, 5f 205yT, 1:13.13, gd.
CONTARELLI CHAPEL (IRE), f, 2, by Caravaggio
1st Dam: Chenchikova (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
2nd Dam: Kasora (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Kozana (GB), by Kris (GB)
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $11,248. O-Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor, Smith; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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