Stakes Goals for Impressive Wandjina Winner

The juvenile maiden at Warwick Farm on Wednesday looked a strong affair on paper with victory going to talented Wandjina colt Deep Chill, who will now be aimed towards Group I races such as the ATC Sires Produce Stakes and Champagne Stakes.

Trained by David Payne, Deep Chill was fifth to subsequent $2million Inglis Millennium winner Castelvecchio when making his debut at Canterbury last month and then finished a good third to McLaren in the Group III ATC Canonbury Stakes on February 2.

Stepping up to 1200 metres and dropped back to maiden class, Deep Chill came with a well timed run under champion jockey Hugh Bowman to score a stylish long neck win over promising More Than Ready (USA) filly Still Single, who is owned by Cambridge Stud's Jo Lindsay. Rattling home for an eye-catching third was Deep Field first starter Bullet Fly.

David Payne is excited about the prospects of Deep Chill, who runs for his long time stable client John Cordina.

A $120,000 Magic Millions purchase, Deep Chill is a half-brother to Group III winner Dreamforce and is the fourth winner from former top class mare Eskimo Queen, who won both the Group I Queensland Oaks and STC Coolmore Classic.

"He's a nice horse and look at his pedigree… he'll get out to 1600 metres and further," said David Payne.

"He passed in at the sales and John (Cordina) asked me to have a look and see what I thought, so we bought him for $120,000 and now he looks like a cheap horse.

"We'll look at the Sires and Champagne Stakes for him now."

Winning rider Hugh Bowman had high praise for Deep Chill.

"He's very raw and doesn't really feel like a Slipper horse, but it was an above average maiden and I think you'll find that in six to eight months time when this horse gets out to 1600 metres and beyond he will be top class," said Bowman.

"I look forward to continuing my association with him."

Deep Chill was foaled and raised at Kitchwin Hills and they will offer his half-sister by Fastnet Rock at Inglis Easter as Lot 444. Eskimo Queen is now in foal to Wandjina's sire Snitzel, so will produce a three-quarter sibling to him this year.

Deep Chill is the first winner for Newgate Farm's Wandjina, who is also the sire of another stakes placed horse in Grand Scholar from just 10 runners to date.