We usually associate the Mark Walker stable with the tangerine colours of Te Akau racing, but it was John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds colours in the frame for the astute Kiwi trainer trainer at Benalla on Tuesday carried by blueblood Frankel filly Chateau Eze.
Camilleri has made a habit of sending some of his better mares to Northern Hemisphere based sires and one of those was Lonhro mare Antibes, an unraced half-sister to stakes-winner As Time Goes By from Group III winner A Time for Julia.
Sent to the UK in 2021 to be covered by Frankel, Antibes produced a filly from the mating and was then returned to Australia (along with her daughter) in foal again to the Juddmonte Farm based champion sire.
Antibes produced a colt by Frankel in Australia last spring at Segenhoe Stud and her first born (the filly) was broken in and named Chateau Eze with Mark Walker to train.
She showed some talent in a recent trial at Caulfield and was sent off as favourite in 1212m maiden today with Mick Dee to ride.
Chateau Eze made light work of the assignment, setting the pace and cruising home to win by more than three lengths.
“She's had a different experience today as she's probably never done that in any of her jump outs as a two-year-old and in the last month, so it's good to see her prick her ears, travel kind in hand and slip away on the corner was very promising,” said stable representative Ben Gleeson.
“She's a filly with a lot of raw ability and she's going to continue furnishing and I think as an autumn filly, she will really come into her own.”
