Chriselliam exorcises BC demons for Hughes, Carson

Up front, Nesso carved out splits of :22 2/5, :46 1/5 and 1:10. Ready to Act

and My Conquestadory were in hot pursuit, and they took over to battle it out

turning for home. But in the meantime, Chriselliam had been making stealthy

progress, and by the time the leaders cornered into the stretch, the eventual

winner was clearly about the gallop all over them.

With clear sailing all about her, Chriselliam tipped out and took off to

finish the firm-turf mile in 1:33 3/5. She furnished a win mutuel of $15.80 and

improved her own scorecard to 6-3-1-0, $729,460.

"She's one of the best fillies I've ridden, and she proved it today," Hughes

said. "She had no problem adapting to the firm turf and had a nice rhythm going

down the backstretch. I won a Group 1 (Fillies' Mile) with her the first time I

got on her at Newmarket. The trainer asked me to gallop her after that and I

told him after the gallop, that if I hadn't ridden her before, I would have

never thought she would get a mile because she had so much speed. 

"This is one of biggest wins of my career. It's a pity my family couldn't

have been here."

Hills was likewise delighted.

"Absolutely brilliant -- I couldn't be more pleased," the trainer said. "She

was pretty sensational today."

Testa Rossi got up from last for second, a half-length ahead of Colonel Joan,

who headed My Conquestadory for third. My Conquestadory tired to fourth after a

tough trip from post 14. Dancing House, Ready to Act, Vorda, Clenor, Sky

Painter, Nesso, Kitten Kaboodle, Granny Mc's Kitten, Street Sailing and Al

Thakhira rounded out the order of finish.

"The winner looked very impressive to me, so I can't say if there was

anything that cost me the win," said Testa Rossi's trainer Chad Brown, who also

sent out the unplaced trio of Ready to Act, Kitten Kaboodle and Granny Mc's

Kitten. "I'm proud of the way she (Testa Rossi) ran. She fired another big one

for me. She's a nice filly."

The maiden Colonel Joan's third-place effort was greeted with enthusiasm by

trainer Eoin Harty. She is by hot freshman sire Colonel John, a former Harty

pupil, and he trains the juvenile for his wife, Kathy, as well as Mark

DeDomenico.

"I'm ecstatic -- I'm over the moon," the trainer said. "I'm over the moon for

my wife.  She's by Colonel John, who was such a big part of my life."

Beaten favorite Vorda might not have appreciated the quick ground, according

to jockey Olivier Peslier.

"It may have been the ground today," Peslier said. "She was more comfortable

last time at Newmarket on softer turf and the competition was tougher today.

She's OK. She'll be all right next year. The trip wasn't too far."

Chriselliam was only ninth in her May 24 unveiling at Haydock, but she

promptly broke the seven-furlong juvenile course record next time at Warwick on

July 11. Although she threw in another clunker when ninth in the August 17 Prix

du Calvados at Deauville in her stakes debut, she has been in great form ever

since. Chriselliam was beaten only a neck by Epsom Derby entrant Chief Barker in

the September 7 Ascendant, then outkicked Group 1 star Rizeena in the Fillies'

Mile.

Bred by Ballylinch Stud in Ireland, the daughter of Iffraaj was sold for

$67,843 as a Tattersalls October yearling. She is a half-sister to Grade

3-placed Janicellaine. Both were produced by the Danehill mare Danielli, who is

in turn a half-sister to Group 1 queens Priory Belle and Eva's Request. Priory

Belle went on to foal Italian stakes scorer Kiltubber, the dam of multiple Group

3-winning, but ill-fated, young stayer Fox Hunt and Group 3 victress Anam Allta.

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here for the full transcript featuring Carson, Hughes, Hills and Wright.

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