By Sean Cronin
Newtown Anner Stud's Chantez (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}–Lady Lara {Ire}, by Excellent Art {GB}) fired the opening salvo on Irish Champions Weekend with a dominant, albeit wayward, victory in Saturday's Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes at Leopardstown.
The 220,000gns October Book 1 graduate, who posted a three-length maiden victory over the same seven-furlong strip in her second outing last month, broke well from an outer gate and tracked the leaders in third through halfway. Taking closer order off the home turn, the 6-5 favourite quickened to the fore approaching the final furlong and kept on strongly, despite rolling around in front, to prevail by 3/4-of-a-length from Garden Of Eden (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}). The runner-up's Aidan O'Brien-trained stablemate and 'TDN Rising Star' Bubbling (Ire) (No Nay Never) ran on well to finish a head adrift in third.
“I'm surprised how green she ran because in her first two starts she didn't show any greenness,” commented trainer Ger Lyons after claiming a record third renewal since the contest was elevated to black-type status. “Colin [Keane] said she saw the photographers and she did everything wrong today, but still won. She's a lovely filly and, if we didn't have Babouche and Red Letter, you'd be very high on her going into next spring. Getting one for each race is a struggle, so having three to go to war with is something to really look forward to over the winter. Coming into this it was 'put her away till next year', but it's all about the ground as she's a top-of-the-ground filly. There is not much of her and we won't make a decision for a week or two. We'll talk to Maurice [Regan] and P J [Colville] and we shall see how she comes out of it. At the minute I would say next year.”
Chantez is the fifth of seven foals and one of two scorers for GII Honey Fox Stakes and GIII My Charmer Handicap victrix Lady Lara (Ire) (Excellent Art {GB}), herself the leading performer out of a full-sister to stakes-winning G3 Criterion Stakes runner-up Edinburgh Knight (Ire) (Selkirk). The January-foaled bay is a half-sister to G2 King Edward VII Stakes and G3 Chester Vase victor Changingoftheguard (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a yearling colt by Camelot (GB) and a weanling colt by St Mark's Basilica (Fr).
Smart filly!
The well-supported Chantez (Wootton Bassett) overcomes greenness to win the Listed @BallylinchStud @IrishEBF_ Ingabelle Stakes for Ger Lyons and @ctkjockey at @LeopardstownRC 🤩 pic.twitter.com/PNj1n0kIMF
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 14, 2024
Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
BALLYLINCH STUD IRISH EBF INGABELLE STAKES-Listed, €100,000, Leopardstown, 9-14, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:27.26, gd.
1–CHANTEZ (IRE), 128, f, 2, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Lady Lara (Ire) (MGSW-US, SW & MGSP-Eng, $781,203), by Excellent Art (GB)
2nd Dam: Shanty (GB), by Selkirk
3rd Dam: Pippas Song (GB), by Reference Point (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (220,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Newtown Anner Stud Farm Ltd; B-B V Sangster (IRE); T-Ger Lyons; J-Colin Keane. €60,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $80,534. *1/2 to Changingoftheguard (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), MGSW-Eng, $378,298.
2–Garden Of Eden (Ire), 128, f, 2, Saxon Warrior (Jpn)–Komedy (Ire), by Kodiac (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€160,000 Wlg '22 GOFNO1; €200,000 Ylg '23 GOFOR). O-Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Mark Hanly & Stephanie Hanly (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €20,000.
3–Bubbling (Ire), 128, f, 2, No Nay Never–Lumiere Noire (Fr), by Dashing Blade (GB). TDN Rising Star. 1ST BLACK TYPE. (320,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier; B-W Maxwell Ervine (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €10,000.
Margins: 3/4, HD, HF. Odds: 1.20, 25.00, 2.25.
Also Ran: Easy Mover (Ire), Nancy J (Ire), Mojave River (Fr), Indigo Dream (GB), And So To Bed (Ire), Unexpected Issues (Ire). Scratched: Twolatebabydoll (Fr).
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