Mackinnon Stakes To French-bred Gailo Chop

Gailo Chop, who is owned by a partnership including OTI Racing and Black Caviar’s owner Neil Werrett, was a useful sophomore in France last season, winning three group races, and he also finished fourth in the inaugural GI Belmont Derby, his only loss of the year. Pitched against Solow (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) in the G1 Prix d’Ispahan May 24, Gailo Chop was not disgraced finishing 1 1/2 lengths adrift of that rival in second, and Solow’s later exploits this season have only made that effort look better. A soundly beaten eighth in the G1 Prince of Wales’s S. at Royal Ascot June 17, Gailo Chop was dropped back in class to add the G3 La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte over this 10 furlong trip Sept. 18 and was once again a well-beaten eighth in his Australian debut, last weekend’s G1 Cox Plate. Clearly adjusting well to the customary quick Australian turnaround, Gailo Chop sat off the heels of favored Stratum Star (Aus) (Stratum {Aus}) through the first few hundred meters of the race before sliding through on the rail to take up the running. A wall of horses bunched up behind Gailo Chop rounding the turn, ready to take aim, but the gelding had enough left in the tank to re-rally after being headed by Rising Romance in midstretch and won gamely. Trainer Antoine de Watrigant, who was recording his first Group 1 win, told Racenet.com.au his charge preferred the Flemington course over Moonee Valley, drawing comparisons to Longchamp. “Last week it was not a good track for Gailo Chop but this week it was the same track as Longchamp,” he told the site. “He ran second this year in France to Solow but I’m very happy to win in Australia for the OTI [Racing].”

De Watrigant said a trip to Hong Kong is possible for Gailo Chop.

Saturday, Flemington, Australia
LKS MACKINNON S.-G1, A$1,002,500, VRC, 10-31, 3yo/up, Open WFA, 2000mT, 2:03.56, Soft.
1–&GAILO CHOP (FR) , 59.0, g, 4, by Deportivo (GB)
1st Dam: Grenoble (FR), by Marignan (USA)
2nd Dam: Blue Wings (FR), by In the Wings (GB)
3rd Dam: Blue Rider (USA), by Wajima (USA)
O-OTI Racing (Mgrs: T Henderson & S O’Donnell), Werrett
Bloodstock Pty Ltd, J Higgins, Mrs F Archibald, L Webb, Ms D
McKeown, Ms M Webb, D & Mrs D Miller, A & Mrs P
Goodfellow, Bobbi; B-Alain Chopard; T-Antoine De Watrigant;
J-B Melham; A$602,500. Lifetime Record: MGSW & G1SP-Fr,
14-8-2-1, A$1,487,521. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
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2–Rising Romance (NZ) , 57.0, m, 5, Ekraar (USA) –Post
Romance (NZ), by Postponed (USA). O-N J & Mrs V M Carter,
M R Powell & B H Carter; B-Carter Bloodstock Ltd, Auckland,
NZ; T-David Hayes & Tom Dabernig; J-Damian Lane;
A$180,000.
3–Contributer (IRE), 59.0, h , 5, High Chaparral (IRE)–Serisia
(FR), by Exit to Nowhere (USA). (€60,000 Ylg 2011 AQ
Deauville October Yearlings) O-Godolphin; B-Petra Bloodstock
Agency Ltd, GB; T-J A O’Shea; J-J B Mc Donald; A$90,000.
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Margins: 0.5 len, 0.9 len, 1.0 len. Odds: 7.00, 15.00, 8.00.
Also Ran: Magic Artist (IRE), Set Square, Ecuador (NZ), Extra Zero, Happy Trails, Pornichet (FR), Weary (FR), Index Linked (GB), Stratum Star, Flamingo Star (GER) .
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.