Few fans would walk off Eagle Farm this afternoon not believing they had seen a very, very good horse in the Gerald Ryan-trained Chains Of Honour.
Sun Bloodstock’s 3yo son of Redoute’s Choice was backed as if unbeatable in the Group III Mullins Grand Prix Stakes (2206m) but it all looked bleak in the run.
Whatever could go wrong did go wrong. Caught wide despite drawing an inside barrier, Chains Of Honour was racing so fiercely his rider Mark Zahra was left with little alternative other than to send him to the lead.
The lightly-raced gelding was probably entitled to turn it up in the straight but he kept up a relentless gallop to defeat the Mark Newnham-trained Mission Phoenix (Reset) by two and a half lengths with the Robert Heathcote-trained Mosshiki (Mossman) a length back in third.
Ryan said there were few suitable races in Sydney for Chains Of Honour but he’s eyes lit up when he saw a Group III over 2206 metres at Eagle Farm.
"There just wasn't anything for him, so I thought let's see what is available in Brisbane. I saw this race and I felt it would be perfect for him provided there was some pace," Ryan told AAP.
"Never did I think he would end up leading but once he was there, I wasn't worried because I know he would just keep going."
Ryan said he is almost certain to be back for the Group 1 Queensland Derby in May but will also look at the Group 1 Australian Derby in the autumn.
"He will go home to the water walker and then we can see how he looks. The Australian Derby certainly isn't off the table," he said.
"When he won his maiden at Gosford I told his owners they might have their first hurdles winner and then when he won first-up I said he might be a Jericho Cup (a 4600m race) horse.
"But all jokes aside. He is a dead-set stayer and I think he will get 3200m at least."
Chains Of Honour advances his record to 3 wins from 4 starts with earnings of $191,355 and gives hope that Sun Stud will recoup a sizeable portion of the $700,000 it shelled out for Chain Of Honour’s champion dam Faint Perfume at the 2016 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale when she was carrying the future Grand Prix Stakes winner.
Carrying the colours of Dato Tan Chin Nam, Faint Perfume was the Champion 3YO Filly in Australia in 2009-10. Her five wins included the Group 1 VRC Oaks and Group 1 STC Vinery Stud Stakes and was placed in the Group 1 AJC Australian Oaks and Group 1 MRC Thousand Guineas.
Sun Stud has retained a filly by Snitzel named Maranoa who is in training with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
Faint Perfume has a yearling filly from the penultimate crop of Redoute’s Choice and has a filly foal from the first crop of Snitzel’s Group II winner Thonum.
Chains Of Honour becomes the 169th stakes-winner for Arrowfield Stud’s sadly missed breed-shaper Redoute’s Choice who died in March this year.
