Tamworth previews: Lyle Chandler’s import ready to make long awaited Aussie debut

Fascinating import Zelestial will make her Australian debut at Tamworth on Tuesday … a full two years and six days after her first start in Ireland when she chased home a subsequent Group 3 winner.

Lyle Chandler with Banju after winning a TAB Highway at Randwick on January 1, 2022. Picture: Bradley Photos

Scone conditioner Lyle Chandler can throw his hat into the ring for the training performance of the season should the fascinating import Zelestial win at her Aussie debut, two years after her Irish one.

Zelestial was foaled in England on January 31 in 2021 but is at least ‘half-Australian’ given she is a daughter of our own one-time dual hemisphere shuttle sire Zoustar.

Her dam, Maderina, who was stakes-placed in France, is a daughter of the Champion 2000m/2400m horse Duke Of Marmalade while Zelestial’s next two dam-sires Galileo and Rainbow Quest were peerless in their eras.

With such epic bloodlines, Zelestial is being groomed to one day join the elite Kia Ora Stud broodmare band but showed too much in her two Irish runs not to saddle-up and go around in Australia.

• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet’s team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Fifth on debut at Navan to subsequent Group 3 winner and now Australian resident, Givemethebeatboys, Zelestial hasn’t raced since finishing down the order at Listowel on June 4, 2023.

She has however, trialled twice in the Hunter region, winning both of them with authority despite the slender margins.

“She had some foot issues like normal Europeans have when they come to Australia; they don’t tend to have the best feet, “ Chandler explained.

“She was always showing a nice deal of ability but she was also just struggling to adapt to Australia.

“She has always had a good deal of fortitude, eating well, etc, etc and doing well in the stable but the Farm (Kia Ora) has had to be patient with her.”

That patience could reap a tangible reward when Chandler sends Zelestial around in the Functions @ The TJC Maiden Handicap (1200m).

“She is definitely ready to race,’’ Chandler says.

“I would say normally a 1200m at Tamworth would be a little bit short for her but I am thinking maybe with a bit of rain and if the tempo is strong, it may favour her to run on a bit and possibly win.

“I’d expect her to be very competitive at 1400m but at 1200m we are going to need all the favours.”

Chandler is best known for his exploits with the eight-times winner of $632,800 Banju, whose primary win came at Tamworth in the town’s Cup in April 2023.

Banju gets the gap and takes out the Tamworth Cup for @Aaronbullock90 and Lyle Chandler! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/5G5mFsLaP0

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 21, 2023

It’s not only Banju and Chandler who have a grand record at the venue, his ‘Get Out Stakes’ hopeful Zenti is one for one at the Tablelands track.

The son of Exosphere aims to maintain his unbeaten tag there today when he leads the field out in the 2TM Sports Show Benchmark 66 Handicap over 1000m.

“1000m is probably short of his best, he likes to get out more to that 1200m mark where he can just have his own way a bit,’’ Chandler said.

“I think from a nice draw, I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if he ran a place.”

Chandler’s renaming runner on the card is Ladyking whose last-start seventh of 12 at Muswellbrook contained significant ‘hidden merit’.

“I thought it was really good,’’ Chandler says.

“It ended up being the fastest last 600m and she obviously drew a bad gate there and had drawn a slightly bad gate again at Tamworth.

“She will run another nice race, and she’s not far off winning, but I think just because you’ve got to give away a little bit of a start, that might give her too much to do late.”

Ladyking shapes as a broodmare os some worth when she calls it a day on the score of her third dam being the Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner, Our Fiction.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

’He’s got some screws loose’: Dennett’s big challenge

Trainer Melissa Dennett.

Trainer Melissa Dennett has the Widden bred gelding Maxandus in peak physical condition ahead of his Maiden mission on Tuesday but isn’t as certain about the horse’s mind.

The son of Silver Slipper hero Headwater has handed in two rock solid runs to start his career, both of them at home at Tamworth but saddled with the visitor’s draw each time.

Maxandus has a more desirable barrier in Tuesday’s Concrete Industry Country Boosted Maiden Plate (1000m) paving the way for a breakthrough win provided he doesn’t beat himself.

“He’s got the ability,’’ Dennett says. “But he is probably one of the hottest horses we’ve ever had.

“He’s got some screws loose, put it that way. He doesn’t do himself any favours pre-race.

“The outside draws have been good in the past because he goes in and is out before too long, but if he holds himself together in the barriers, that is the perfect draw (3).

Maxandus hails from a family made famous by the late Geoff and Beryl White who bred and raced close relation Eremein whose dozen wins included the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes, AJC Derby, Rosehill Guineas and BMW Stakes.

Dennett meanwhile has the found the perfect race for the barn’s slick sprinters Zampano and Takanakuy who will briefly become rivals when they square off in the 2TM Sports Show Benchmark 66 Handicap (1000m).

One-time boom galloper Zampano is back home in more ways than one after a trip to Sydney for a recent TAB Highway tilt where he finished a respectable fourth.

“Goes alright, doesn’t it?”- Understatement of the day from @AshMorgan6 after winning the Romantic Dream aboard Zampano @[e-mail]/ld9RQQYBRo

— Ben Walker (@walkerb83) April 26, 2024

“To be honest, we actually thought he would run better, we were pretty confident,’’ Dennett said.

“The track was quite doughy. Ash (Morgan) got off him and said bring him back down but on a better track.

“And it was his first trip away from home too. He’s only a young horse, lightly-raced, and he certainly didn’t disgrace himself.

“At the 200m, I thought he was going to drop out and run last so he didn’t embarrass us anyway and he’s pulled up really well.”

Not many horses in the last race can boast a better set of numbers than Dennett’s honest mare Takanakuy who has won twice at the track and trip but has never managed to place on rain affected ground.

“She’s as tough as they come and she always turns up but she won’t want it wet,’’ Dennett said.

Originally published as Tamworth previews: Lyle Chandler’s import ready to make long awaited Aussie debut