Written by Richard Edmunds
Luckless on his Australian debut at Caulfield two weeks ago, recent Australian Bloodstock recruit Chief Ironside (GB) (Lawman {Fr}) bounced back brilliantly in Saturday’s G2 Schweppes Crystal Mile at The Valley.
A multiple Group 3 placegetter in England, Chief Ironside was purchased by Australian Bloodstock earlier this year and has been prepared for the Melbourne spring carnival under the watchful eye of British-based French trainer David Menuisier.
His campaign had a nightmare start on Australian debut in the G1 Toorak H. on October 12. Nothing went right for the 5-year-old, who eventually finished five and a half lengths behind the winner in 13th.
Saturday’s Crystal Mile was a very different story as Chief Ironside stormed to a $26 upset in front of a big Cox Plate day crowd.
Jockey Jamie Spencer urged Chief Ironside forward in the early stages to be prominently placed on the heels of the pace-setting Dreamforce (Fastnet Rock), Cliff’s Edge (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) and Dream Castle (GB) (Frankel {GB}).
Spencer angled Chief Ironside into clear air in the straight and sent him into full flight, sprinting up alongside Cliff’s Edge in the last 150 metres and nailing him right on the line by a short head.
Best of Days (GB) (Azamour {Ire}) dashed home from third-last to be close up in third, followed by Pacodali (Ire) (Paco Boy {Ire}) and Dreamforce. In a blanket finish, only 1l separated the first seven horses home.
“We got cover and had a beautiful trip around,” Spencer said. “He needed every yard of the straight to get there, but he did it.
“He needed every yard of the straight to get there, but he did it." - Jamie Spencer
“He’s been an on-pace horse in Europe, so I wasn’t worried about getting him into a position. But he has had a tendency to play up in the gates, and he did that last start at Caulfield.
“So I just came into this race hoping for a good beginning and for the race to go smoothly, and both of those things happened.”
Chief Ironside (GB)
Chief Ironside has now won three of his 15 starts, placing in another four for career earnings in excess of $305,000.
Menuisier was pleased to see the entire set the record straight after what happened in the Toorak two weeks ago.
“I’m absolutely over the moon,” he said. “The boys (Australian Bloodstock) bought this horse around two and a half months ago with the view of coming here to Australia.
“We thought we’d be able to improve the horse from his previous form, and I think that’s what we’ve done.
Chief Ironside (GB) connections celebrate
“He was very unlucky at Caulfield last start. We felt he should have been in the frame, or won the race.
"I was a little bit frustrated, as the horse had done nothing wrong. It was just the circumstances, so we thought 'let's roll the dice' and carry a bit more weight and put Jamie back on him, plus he's been training great since."
It remains to be seen whether Chief Ironside will now attempt to follow in the footsteps of Turn Me Loose (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}), who in 2015 was the last horse to win both the Crystal Mile and the G1 Cantala S. during the Melbourne Cup carnival.
Menuisier will monitor the horse’s progress before making any decision on future starts.
“We will look at the program and consider our options,” he said.
