Fifth Aussie Winner for Churchill

Narrowly beaten into second place in her first two starts, the latest winner for promising young sire Churchill saluted at Donald on Monday with Jenny Jerome (2f Churchill x Tortoni, by Strategic) carrying the colours made famous by champions such as Tie the Knot and Spinning Hill.

Trained by Patrick Payne, two year-old filly Jenny Jerome has been working up to a win and got the job done in style, forging clear to win the 1200m maiden by two lengths with ears pricked.

“She had a fair bit on her opposition then,” said winning rider Harry Coffey.

“Barrier one was probably not the best thing for her, looking back with hindsight, being a big filly with a big action, but long term for her she’s learned a lot from today.

“She raced in amongst them and quickened off that. She’s worth following when she puts it altogether and will be a nice filly.”

A homebred for the Tait and Nivison families that was foaled and raised at Twin Hills Stud, Jenny Jerome is a half-sister to Group II winner Cherry Tortoni, a winner of nearly $1million in prizemoney.

Jenny Jerome is the fourth winner from four foals to race from Tortoni, a winning half-sister by Strategic to champion stayer and $6.2million earner Tie the Knot, the winner of 21 races, 13 of them at Group I level.

Jenny Jerome is the fifth Australian winner for Churchill, who is the sire of dual Group I winning colt Vadeni from his first Northern Hemisphere crop of foals.

An outstanding multiple Group I winning miler by Galileo, Churchill returns to Australia this spring at a fee of $22,000.