Apache Chase added a fourth stakes win to his burgeoning resume when fending off the chasing pack at his seasonal debut in Saturday’s Listed Weetwood Hcp (1200m) at Toowoomba.
Making his reappearance since a troubled run in the Group 1 Stradbroke Hcp at Eagle Farm on June 12, the 4yo son of Better Than Ready kept up a strong gallop under Jim Byrne to defeat the fast-finishing Desert lord (High Chaparral) by a neck with a further half-length back to Royal Hale (Snitzel) in third.
“I think he’s a better horse than he was in the winter,” winning trainer Desleigh Forster told Racenet.
“It was really big because we came here last year and got beat (with Red Chase).
“He was really good today, he switched off and relaxed and you could see he just pulled Jimmy up the hill and he was nursing him.”
Forster said the $7.5m Golden Eagle at Rosehill next month was the main goal.
“He has a long campaign ahead of him, this horse so he’s not wound right up yet,” she said.
“He will go to Eagle Farm in two weeks’ time to that 1400m race then he will go to the Golden Eagle after that.”
Apache Chase adds the Weetwood to wins in the Group III BRC Vo Rogue Plate, Group III Fred Best Classic and Listed Daybreak Lover Plate, advancing his record to six wins, a second, and a third from 15 starts with earnings of $788,625.
Purchased by his owner Michael Sherrin for $50,000 out of the Eureka Stud draft at the 2019 Gold Coast March Yearling Sale, Apache Chase has championed the cause of foals from older mares.
A half-brother to Churchill Downs (Danehill), who won the 2006 Group II MVRC Bill Stutt Stakes and runner-up to Mirror Mirror in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic, Apache Chase is the eleventh and final foal of the imported Diesis mare Silken Whisper (USA).
Of the eleven named foals, eight made it to the races for six winners.
Silken Whisper’s unraced daughter Without Words is the dam of the Alpine Eagle gelding Speak No Eagle who went into a few black books when an impressive winner on debut at Murray Bridge on September 5.
Foaled when his dam was 20, Apache Chase is one of five stakes-winners for Lyndhurst Stud’s prolific More Than Ready (USA) stallion Better Than Ready.
