The Australia Day meeting at Randwick produced a popular result in the opening event of the day with royally bred High Chaparral (IRE) filly Chandana saluting as a hot favourite in the Australian flag colours.

Featured on Breednet when breaking her maiden at Warwick Farm in November, the Chris Waller trained filly has been placed twice since then, but looked well suited to add another win to her resume with a step up to 1800 metres.

Despite the heavy ground, she found the line well for Hugh Bowman to beat the colts and geldings by a length and a quarter in the Benchmark 71 event.

“I still think she’s a preparation away,” said Chris Waller.

“She’s still a bit weak and while she’s done a good job today, I’d like to send her to the paddock.”

A $200,000 NZB Premier purchase from the Curraghmore Stud draft for her trainer, Chandana runs for a big group of Waller stable clients, who may well have a stakes class filly on their hands in the future.

“We’d definitely be looking at more Queensland for her rather the Sydney carnival,” added Waller.

Foaled and raised at Coolmore, Chandana has won two of five starts and is the second winner for Bombay, a juvenile winner by Encosta de Lago from the family of Fastnet Rock. – Breednet