Chilly Girl delivered a courageous front-running display to land the Widden Stakes at Rosehill, showing maturity well beyond her experience.
The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained filly absorbed early pressure before finding another gear in the straight, holding off Miss Chanel to score by a narrow margin.
Her winning time of 1:03.82 was faster than the colts and geldings in the Canonbury Stakes earlier on the card, underlining the quality of the performance.
Alexiou admitted the early tempo was stronger than anticipated but was impressed with how Chilly Girl responded.
“I thought she might get a softer run, but they took her on from the start,” he said.
“She was good enough to kick again when she had to, which is a great sign for a young horse.”
The trainer said her professionalism stood out most, particularly given it was her first race start.
“She’s very composed. You wouldn’t think she was a two-year-old having her first run,” he said.
“That toughness is something you can’t train — they either have it or they don’t.”
Connections are now eyeing a path toward the Golden Slipper, provided the filly continues to progress.
“We’ll take it step by step,” Alexiou said.
“She’s doing everything right at the moment and we’ll see how far she takes us.”
Following the win, Chilly Girl firmed into $11 for the Slipper with leading Australian betting sites, sitting behind Warwoven and Hidrix.
Miss Scandal faded late after being prominent early, with trainer Chris Waller indicating the filly would now head for a break.
The post Chilly Girl proves too hot for Widden Stakes rivals first appeared on Just Horse Racing.