RHILL JAN 23 - CHANCE BYE HEADS TOWARD SLIPPER

By Scott Gooley | Monday, January 25, 2010

Rosehill, January 23, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 6m.
Inglis Classic (2yo Special Conditions) - 1200m. Time 1-10.95.
1 Chance Bye; 2 Ilovethiscity; 3 Spot The Rock.

Purchased for only $15,000 twelve months ago from the Inglis Classic sales ring, the two-year-old filly Chance Bye has proven to be an astute investment for her connections.

Having won impressively on debut at Randwick in December, the daughter of Snitzel lined up in the Racing Rewards Inglis Classic at Rosehill (1200m) on Saturday as the dominant $1.85 favourite.

Ridden by Kathy O'Hara and starting from the outside gate in a field of ten, Chance Bye showed good early speed to cross the field and was leading comfortably 300m after the start.

After being caught wide early, Celestial Charger went forward to join Chance Bye in the lead at the 600m mark.

O'Hara held her charge together rounding the turn and when she asked the filly for her final effort soon after straightening; Chance Bye quickly established a winning break that would not be threatened.

"She had a breather mid race and when I asked her to go, she just exploded," reported O'Hara.

"She was humming along at a pretty genuine tempo and when I let her go, she just finds another gear."

Chance Bye won by three and half lengths with a further three and a quarter lengths between second placed, Ilovethiscity ($9.00) and third placed Spot The Rock ($14.00).

The win rocketed Chance Bye's stake earnings to over $340,000.00 from her two starts to date and she will now be aimed at the $3.5 million Golden Slipper on Easter Saturday.

However, as each of her victories have been in events opened to Inglis sales graduates only, Chance Bye's prizemoney thus far will not be considered toward Golden Slipper qualification.

The victory was also the second leg of a winning double for O'Hara who also won aboard Al Dhafra in the Simplot Australia Foodservices Handicap (1500m).

Al Dhafra had won his first two starts at the Goulburn and Canberra tracks and punters had seen enough to send him out the $3.20 favourite.

O'Hara pushed the son of Fusaichi Pegasus forward and he settled second, three-quarters-of-a length off pace setter, Counterpane.

In the straight, Al Dhafra had a job on his hands as he not only set about hauling in Counterpane but, also had to fight of a strong challenge being made on his outside by Money Rocks.

Showing great tenacity in a thrilling finish, Al Dhafra was able to hold Money Rocks by a neck margin with a further half a neck to Counterpane.

The win impressed his trainer, Guy Walter.

"It was a good win today because that not the way he's raced prior to today.

"In a slowly run race today, Kathy allowed him to stride up to outside the leader which was a very smart thing to do, I think.

"I thought he was in trouble halfway up the straight but he showed fighting quality at only his third run in a race.

"I think he's most probably a horse for the autumn. He won't have a run for a little while, but he deserves a crack at the better three year old races I think."

Correct weight was delayed as Stewards heard and then quickly dismissed, a protest lodged by rider of Money Rocks Apprentice Brenton Avdulla, who claimed interference over the concluding stages.