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Daughter of Foxwedge becomes the 22nd stakes winner for her Woodside Park-based sire
In winning Saturday's Spear Chief Handicap (Listed, 1500m) at Eagle Farm, Charleise (4 m ex Adio by Lonhro) became the 22nd stakes winner for her sire Foxwedge (Fastnet Rock) and the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained mare could now head to the Tattersall’s Tiara (Gr 1, 1400m).
"She is coming good at the right time of the year," Maher said.
"She's got a bit of a Ballarat coat on her, but we'll rectify that before her next start and you never know, she might be en route to a Tiara."
Charleise was partnered by jockey Jye Mcneil and was his only ride at the meeting. Maher said that only made McNeil more determined to make it count.
"He's got his wife and little boy up here and he said he needed to make it a winner to keep the show rolling up here, so well done to him," Maher said.
Charleise arrived in the nick of time to score narrowly over Groundswell (Fastnet Rock) with favourite Luvoir (Deep Field) a close third.
McNeil believes the mare is still on an upward spiral.
"She's in fantastic form. The team have her going really well and I don't think we're at the bottom of the tank yet," McNeil said.
The only winner out of dual-winning mare Adio (Lonhro), Charleise’s second dam is Spring Flyte (Flying Spur) who produced four winners from as many foals to race and is a half-sister to the stakes placed filly Behind (General Nediym).
Adio was covered by Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo) last October having produced a filly by Divine Prophet (Choisir).
Foxwedge has produced five Group 1 winners to date in Volpe Veloce, Foxplay, Run Fox Run, Lunar Fox and Urban Fox and he will stand for a fee of $11,000 (inc GST) at Woodside Park Stud this season.
