Prompt Return And Thurlow To Clash In Chairman’s Stakes

Promising juvenile Prompt Return and Thurlow have both been included in the 2015 Chairman’s Stakes field and are set to clash at Sandown this Saturday.

Prompt Return will return to racing in the 2015 Chairman's Stakes at Sandown this weekend. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett

Prompt Return will return to racing in the 2015 Chairman’s Stakes at Sandown this weekend. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett

Prompt Return made his racing debut with a win in the Elmore RC Plate (900m) at Bendigo on October 18 and he proved that performance was no fluke when he recorded an upset win in the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) at Flemington on November 8.

The Beneteau colt started the Magic Millions Clockwise Classic (1000m) at Ballarat on November 22 as a clear favourite, but he suffered a surprise loss to Carriages and he was sent back to the spelling paddock for a break and set for a tilt at the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 28.

Thurlow made her racing debut in the Group 3 Emirates Airline Plate (1000m) at Flemington on and produced a professional effort behind Godolphin filly Antelucan before she worked home strongly after being blocked for a run to take out the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) at Sandown on November 15.

The Sebring filly has also been set for the Blue Diamond Stakes and showed that she was ready for a return to racing when she finished fourth in a barrier trial over 800 metres at Cranbourne on January 29.

Gai Waterhouse won the 2014 edition of the Chairman’s Stakes with Nayeli and she has included Brooklyn in the nominations for this year’s race.

Brooklyn was well-backed ahead of his racing debut in the Betting Season Plate (1000m) at Royal Randwick on October 11, but he raced greenly and finished towards the tail of the field, while he produced a more professional performance in the West Tradies Plate (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on November 1.

Haybah is the most experienced horse in the 2015 Chairman’s Stakes field and she will be having the fifth race start of her career in the Group 3 event this weekend.

The More Than Ready filly scored her maiden race win in the Evergreen Turf Plate (1000m) at Ballarat on January 8 and she gave the highly-rated Fontiton a scare in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) at Sandown on Australia Day.

Paul Rocke-trained Certain Ellie and debut winner Parcel are the other horses with racing experience in the Chairman’s Stakes field, while Assertive Star, Brockhoff and More Than Most will all be making their racing debuts in the $150,000 event.

About The Author

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.