Churchill 2YO Excites on Debut

Carrying the famed Ingham cerise as does her close relation Fangirl, exciting filly Cigar Flick (2f Churchill x Palmateer, by Fastnet Rock) made a winning debut at Canterbury on Friday night for the Chris Waller stable.

Cigar Flick impressed at her only trial and with James McDonald on board was well fancied to win the 1100m maiden despite her outside barrier and the wet rainy conditions which led to a heavy 8.

She travelled just behind the leader Fameux and surged by in straight past him in the straight to win by a length and a half.

“James took the option to go forward and she had a lovely run stalking Fameux,” said stable representative Damien Fitton.

“She let down with a lovely turn of foot and it will be onwards and upwards for her.

“She’ll improve a lot from this run and will handle all surfaces.”

James McDonald was thrilled with the effort and predicts a bright future for Cigar Flick.

“She’s a stunning filly and everything she does, she does so easy. She just oozes quality,” he said.

“She will be a beautiful 3YO and will run a mile easy.”

A homebred for the Ingham family, Cigar Flick was foaled and raised at Coolmore and is the first foal of Palmateer, a metro winning half-sister by Fastnet Rock to $3million earning Group I winner Fangirl from stakes-winner Little Surfer Girl.

Her third dam is triple Group I winner Special Harmony, who won the VRC Oaks, Thousand Guineas and Arrowfield Stud Stakes among her 10 wins, so Cigar Flick is from a family of outstanding fillies.

Cigar Flick looks a great prospect for Galileo’s champion son Churchill, who has just completed his fifth season in Australia and has eight entries for Magic Millions.