A confidence-enhancing conversation with a leading jockey came at the perfect time for trainer Annabel Archibald, just after Chayan’s tough luck in the Blue Diamond left her unplaced. “Where is Chayan going next,” the jockey said. “She will go where you can ride her,” Archibald responded.
James McDonald, the elite jockey in question, was in the irons at Royal Randwick this Saturday, steering Chayan to a standout performance that launched her into the Golden Slipper mix through victory in the Group 2 $300,000 Reisling Stakes (1200m).
Chayan, at odds of $3.10, surged clear to win by three expanding lengths ahead of $2.70 market fancy Agrarian Girl, from Miss Chanel ($10) who was half a length adrift 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.”
The filly notched her first win from three outings, guaranteeing entry into the $5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 21.
Chayan always hinted at quality but drew poorly early in her career, as Archibald explained. “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 had success in the Reisling Stakes before with Learning To Fly in 2023, who sadly fell in Shinzo’s Golden Slipper. “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.
This I Am Invincible filly, bought for $250,000 at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale last year, showed promise. “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.”
Agrarian Girl and Miss Chanel, prepared by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, took second and third, with Agrarian Girl’s earnings now exceeding $180,000 for likely Golden Slipper access.
The Adrian Bott-trained runner showed plenty despite pre-race issues including a stall slip and needing restraint. “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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