Chop Chop To Begin Queensland Oaks Campaign In Gold Coast Bracelet

Chop Chop made her racing debut in October last year and finished second behind Australian Oaks winner Rising Romance in her second race start at Dargaville before scoring her maiden race win at Otaki on December 19.

Ric McMahon will partner Chop Chop in the 2014 Gold Coast Bracelet at the Gold Coast on Saturday.

Ric McMahon will partner Chop Chop in the 2014 Gold Coast Bracelet at the Gold Coast on Saturday. Photo by: Daniel Costello

The Guillotine filly made her debut at Group level with a fourth place finish in the Group 2 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa on February 8 and performed consistently in both the Group 3 Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Hastings on March 1 and the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on March 15.

The Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm on May 31 is the major 2014 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival goal for Chop Chop, but trainer Shaune Ritchie told Sky Racing HQ that he believes the three-year-old is capable of running well in the 2014 Gold Coast Bracelet this weekend.

“Her form is very good,” Ritchie said.

“She has been plagued with some wide barriers and been forced to be ridden cold, I think that she was giving them a 18 to 20 lengths start in the New Zealand Oaks.

“She has good form around Rising Romance and some sharp horses over here and the three-year-old New Zealand form looks to be pretty good; it certainly held up well in Sydney.

“I think Queensland should suit her well and if she draws a nice barrier there is no need for her to get too far back on Saturday.

“If she can race handy she is going to run a cheeky race in the Gold Bracelet and that will set her up for the Doomben Roses.”

Leading Brisbane jockey Ric McMahon partnered Chop Chop in the New Zealand Oaks and he has been booked to ride the classy filly in the Gold Coast Bracelet and will also partner her stablemate Military Move in the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m).

“Ric is a very good friend of Paul Bellingham, whose wife owns Military Move, and we thought that we would reward him for making the effort to come over and ride Chop Chop in the New Zealand Oaks,” Ritchie said.

“He knows the Gold Coast very well and he is a very strong rider.

“We are happy to have his services for our first runs over there.”

The 2014 Gold Coast Bracelet final field will be released tomorrow and the competition for a place in the field is fierce after 30 fillies were included in the nominations for the Listed event.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.