Stakes Double for Churchill - Smart 3YO's
Confirmed for the Australian roster for 2024, Churchill was in hot form overnight with a pair of lightly raced new stakes-winning three year-olds in Pandora’s Gift and Fast Tracker.
The Listed Chelmsford City Chelmer Stakes (6f) was won by the Stuart Williams trained filly Pandora’s Gift (3f Churchill x Amthaal, by Exceed and Excel) in a dominant display. She was shooting for a fourth successive win following a debut second last December and was sent out favourite before cruising to an easy two and a half length win.
Purchased for €28,000 from the Goffs Sportsman’s Yearling Sale, Pandora’s Gift runs for James Parry and partners and is the first winner for Exceed and Excel mare Amthaal, a daughter of Group III placed Darajaat from the family of multiple Group winner Ertijaal.
Tasting Black Type success for the first time at Chantilly was up and coming colt Fast Tracker (3c Churchill x Emma Knows, by Anabaa), who won the Listed Prix de Suresnes (200m) by a commanding seven lengths.
Trained by Henri-Alex Pantall, Fast Tracker has the overall record of three wins and a placing from five starts and may head to the Group I Prix du Jockey Club following this thoroughly impressive win.
Fast Tracker was passed in as a yearling and is a half-brother to stakes-placed My Scholar and is the best of three winners from unraced Anabaa mare Emma Knows, who comes from the family of Group I VRC Australian Cup winner Fifty Stars.
Pandora’s Gift and Fast Tracker become the 20th and 21st stakes-winners for Churchill, who returns to Australia at a fee of $19,800.