International raider Chief at The Valley
Chief Ironside (left) has continued a trend of international winners during the spring carnival.
Chief Ironside has continued the successful invasion of international raiders by taking out the Crystal Mile at The Valley.
The victory of Chief Ironside, trained by French-born UK-based David Menuisier, on Saturday followed the success of Hunting Horn in the preceding race, the Moonee Valley Cup.
Other winners to come from the Werribee quarantine centre this spring include Mer De Glace in the Caulfield Cup while Cape Of Good Hope left quarantine the morning he was successful in the Caulfield Stakes for Lindsay Park.
Chief Ironside came to Melbourne with his Cox Plate stablemate Danceteria with both gallopers part-owned by syndication company Australian Bloodstock.
Ridden by Jamie Spencer, Chief Ironside ($26) scored by a short-head from Cliff’s Edge ($10) with Best Of Days ($7) the same margin away third.
Chief Ironside made his Australian debut finishing 13th in the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield on October 12 and Menuisier said the five-year-old was unlucky that day.
“We felt that he should’ve been in the frame, or won,” Menuisier said.
“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.”
Menuisier will see how Chief Ironside recovers from Saturday’s win before deciding whether to run the five-year-old at Flemington during Melbourne Cup week.
“We will look at the program and consider our options,” Menuisier said.
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