Fourteen Declared for ITM-Backed Listed Chelmer Fillies’ Stakes

A strong line-up of 14 runners has been declared for the first Listed race of the year at Chelmsford City Racecourse, including two Irish-trained horses.

The Ire Incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish Chelmer Fillies’ Stakes is the feature of the Thursday evening card and is worth a total of £80,000, with £45,368 going to the winner. Johnny Murtagh and Kevin Thomas Coleman have both been lured across the Irish Sea for the six-furlong contest, with Murtagh sending the dual winner and 92-rated Wave Machine for Nick Bradley Racing and Coleman represented by Catherine Of Siena, who has also won twice.

The Nick Bradley Racing syndicate is double-handed for the race as running in the second colours is Glorious Angel, who is trained by Grant Tier and has been the busiest of these three-year-old fillies to date, with five wins to her name from 22 starts.

Leading the way on ratings is Rage Of Bamby, trained by Eve Johnson Houghton to record two victories last year. The daughter of Saxon Warrior was also third in the G2 Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket and has a mark of 102.

Highclere Thoroughbred Racing’s Believing, is another with black type to her name already, having twice finished runner-up in Group 3 company after winning her maiden last May for George Boughey.

While last year’s winning trainers Mark and Charlie Johnston are not represented this year there is still a strong challenge from Yorkshire, with Karl Burke set to saddle both Lady Hamana for Yulong Investments and Pillow Talk for Clipper Logistics. Kevin Ryan and Richard Fahey also send Glenlaurel and Marine Wave respectively.

Neil Graham, Director of Racing, said,

“We are thrilled to have such a strong field for one of our feature races of the year and the two runners from Ireland, Catherine of Siena (IRE) and Wave Machine (FR), give a fascinating international aspect to the race. At Chelmsford City Racecourse, we constantly strive to offer top-class prize money with this race being one of the most valuable Listed races in Great Britain this year; it is always gratifying to see this level of prize money being supported and appreciated by the owners and trainers.

“We look forward to welcoming the horses and their connections to the racecourse and to what, we hope, will be a truly exciting race.”

In addition to the generous prize-money on offer, the winner of the Chelmer Fillies’ Stakes, which is sponsored by Irish Thoroughbred Marketing’s IRE Incentive Scheme, will also receive a €10,000 voucher to be redeemed at the Irish yearling sales.