The promising Australian-bred Chevauchee found the right race to score her first stakes success when holding off her flying stablemate Beach Goddess to score an encouraging victory in the R150 000 Listed Olympic Duel Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Chevauchee (Corne Orffer) holds off the attention of stablemate Beach Goddess (Sean Veale) for her first stakes win ( Pic – Wayne Marks)
It was a memorable race for Phillipi trainer Brett Crawford who saddled the top two – both of whom are transfers from other yards.
Chevauchee won her debut over the course and distance for Joey Ramsden and after chasing subsequent Gr2 SA Guineas winner Bela-Bela home at her second outing, was being whispered as a likely Cape Fillies Guineas candidate.
While that route never materialised, she is bred for further than what she tried on Saturday and looks to have the potential of good things to come.
Carrying only 52,5kgs on Saturday, and with Corne Orffer shedding the pounds to make the weight, Chevauchee went off a popular favourite and didn’t let her supporters down – coming out of the pack at the 350m to hold her stablemate Beach Goddess to rather flattering head in a time of 71,80 secs.
The consistent Neala stayed on best of the rest for third, with Petala in fourth.
One who caught the eye was Acrostar, who was returning from a 19 week rest and ran on well over a distance short of her best to run fifth and just over two lengths back.
Trainer Brett Crawford confirmed that Chevauche was ‘probably looking for further’.
“It is only her second start for me and her second run after a rest. I am going to try her around the turn. She has potential. Well done to our jockey Corne Orffer for getting down to the weight.”
Corne Orffer – dieting paid dividends
Jockey Corne Orffer said:
“We probably hit the front too soon as they couldn’t pull me through. That’s why she stopped and had we been able to wait, she probably would have won by further.”
Chevauchee who races in the Ridgemont Stud silks has won 2 races with 3 places from her 5 starts for stakes of R178 775.
Chevauchee was purchased for Aus$ 180 000 by C Roscoe at the 2014 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
She was bred by Supreme Thoroughbreds and is by the ill-fated Sadler’s Wells star High Chaparral. Her dam is the beautifully bred Danehill mare Chevaleresse – an unraced Irish-bred half-sister to English Gr1 placed Gr2 winner, Riyadeen (Polish Precedent). She is out of the Epsom Oaks winner, Knight’s Baroness.
