Impressive Winner for Churchill

Churchill is due back in Australia this spring and he sired an impressive winner at Doncaster in the UK where Encountered (2c Churchill x Enrol, by Pivotal) won as he pleased.

Trained by Marco Botti, Encountered was third on debut at Haydock last month and took benefit from that outing.

He raced on the pace and was much too good over the concluding stages opening up to win the seven furlong novice by four lengths.

A 160,000 guineas purchase from the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Encountered is the third winner from three foals to race from stakes-placed Pivotal mare Enrol.

Encountered is the fourth Northern Hemisphere winner for Churchill, who has had his first crop of Australian bred yearlings selling this year.

They have sold strongly with 36 in total selling at average in excess of $107,000 with his top seller a colt from Heaven’s Touch that made $250,000 at Magic Millions when snapped up by Anthony Freedman Racing/Blue Sky Bloodstock P/L.

A four time Group I winner over 7f and a mile, Churchill returns to Australia at a fee of $22,000.