The 6yo Al Maher mare Chassis broke through at stakes level in a competitive Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic (1200m) at Ipswich on Saturday.
Under a brilliant ride from an inside barrier by Jake Bayliss, the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained mare defeated the 5yo Better Than Ready mare Better Get Set by a length with the 4yo Fastnet Rock mare Hellfast a half-length back in third.
It was an instant dividend for Parsons Creek Farm/Dermot Farrington Bloodstock, who purchased the daughter of Al Maher for $230,000 when consigned by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock to the 2023 National Broodmare Sale.
With her stakes breakthrough, Chassis advances her record to seven wins, four seconds, and two thirds from 33 starts with earnings of $610,625.
It was an emotional win for Jake Bayliss, who has strong family ties to the Ipswich Club.
“I’m about to cry, to be honest, given my family association with the club,” Bayliss revealed.
Both my grandparents were life members, as was my great-grandfather. My Auntie Sharon was clerk of the course here for 20-odd years. I grew up riding trackwork here, my Dad was a well-respected trainer, and he won the Ipswich Cup in 1989. So it’s great to win this race.
“We took bad luck out of the equation by putting her in the box seat. The leader gave a nice kick and rolled off the fence, so we were able to sneak up the inside, and she attacked the line.
“In these high-pressure races at this track, if you don’t use your gate speed to your advantage, you can find yourself in midfield pretty quickly. She stuck to her task really well.”
Stable representative Ashley Jarvis said the team expected a forward showing.
“She won her last start at Sandown really well. She had a nice easy time of it then she went through the sale and got some new owners, so it was nice to get a win for them,” Jarvis said.
“She was very strong. She jumped well, was right up with them, and managed to hold her position. She’s a big, strong mare who hit the line strongly. She doesn’t like it when she gets too cluttered up, so up on the speed suits her best, and Jake rode her beautifully.”
Chassis is a 4-time veteran of the sales ring.
Passed-in when failing to make her $50,000 reserve at the 2017 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale, Chassis was a $40,000 purchase for her former trainer John Price when offered by Supreme Thoroughbreds at the 2018 Inglis VOBIS Gold Yearling Sale.
She went to the Gold Coast for the 2022 National Broodmare Sale, failing to make her $350,000 reserve before entering the same arena twelve months later when selling for $230,000.
A half-sister to the stakes-placed Street Boss (USA) gelding Indernile, Chassis is the best of four winners from six to race for the 3-time winning Hussonet (USA) Poco Gusto.
A daughter of the Group 1 South Australian Oaks third Kachina (Qahira), Poco Gusto died in 2017.
Chassis is the 37th stakes-winner for Al Maher (Danehill), who was pensioned after covering three mares at Stockwell Stud last spring.
It was a good day for the Stockwell pensioners after Artie Schiller’s very promising 2yo Steparty kept his record at a perfect three for three at Flemington.
