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The Phantom Chance

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The Phantom Chance
SireNoble Bijou
GrandsireVaguely Noble
DamThe Fantasy
DamsireGate Keeper
SexGelding
Foaled3 November 1989
CountryNew Zealand
ColourChestnut
BreederA G, K J, M C & P R Dennis
OwnerWayne B Ballin
TrainerColin Jillings
Record44:11-3-4[1]
Earnings$2,189,706
Major wins
New Zealand Derby (1992)
W S Cox Plate (1993)
Turnbull Stakes (1993)
Last updated on 3 July 2007

The Phantom Chance (foaled 3 November 1989)[2] is a New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who won the New Zealand Derby in 1992 and Cox Plate in 1993, earning over $2 million in his 44-race career.

Family

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The Phantom Chance, a gelding by Noble Bijou out of The Fantasy, was a member of one of New Zealand's best-known Thoroughbred families bred by A.G (Tony), K.J. (Joe), M.C. (Martin), and P.R. (Ray) Dennis (the Dennis brothers).[3] This family features a number of horses whose names begin with 'The', including:

Racing career

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The gelding didn't race at two and made a slow start to his three-year-old career, finishing third in his first two starts. But then he won eight races on end, six of them at stakes level, including the Derby and the Group 1 Cambridge Stud International Stakes against the older horses to confirm his status as New Zealand's champion three-year-old for the season.

His New Zealand Derby win gave trainer Colin Jillings his fifth win in the race, a number that no other trainer has matched.

As a four-year-old the horse's great success continued not only in New Zealand but also across the Tasman. He started his Australian career with a narrow win in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington, and after a Group 1 placing at Caulfield became the second New Zealand Derby winner in three years (after Surfers Paradise) to win the Cox Plate, beating fellow New Zealander Solvit by a length and a half in the 1993 running of Australia's weight-for-age championship.

On 28 November 1993, ridden by Robert Vance, he placed 12th of 16 in the Japan Cup won by Legacy World. He was three places behind the Australian entrant, Naturalism.

He continued to race through to the age of 8, and occasionally experienced success in both New Zealand and Australia at stakes level. He wasn't the same horse as he was at three and four though, and as a result his record probably looks less impressive now than it should.[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Victoria, Thoroughbred Horse Racing In Victoria | Racing. "Home". Racing Victoria.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "The Phantom Chance (NZ) 1989". NZRacing. New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Inc. 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  3. ^ "Melbourne Cup 2019: Southland 80-year-old twins Ray and Tony Dennis' lifetime dream about to be realised". 4 November 2019.
  4. ^ "The Pixie (NZ) 1968 / Breeding / LOVERACING.NZ". loveracing.nz.
  5. ^ "The Fantasy (NZ) 1974 / Breeding / LOVERACING.NZ". loveracing.nz.
  6. ^ "The Twinkle (NZ) 1975 / Breeding / LOVERACING.NZ". loveracing.nz.
  7. ^ "The Dimple (NZ) 1977 / Breeding / LOVERACING.NZ". loveracing.nz.
  8. ^ "The Grin (NZ) 1992 / Breeding / LOVERACING.NZ". loveracing.nz.
  9. ^ http://www.nzthoroughbred.co.nz/Champions/Champions/Champions/Broodmares.aspx New Zealand Broodmare of the Year] Archived 5 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "The Jewel (NZ) 1999 / Breeding / LOVERACING.NZ". loveracing.nz.
  11. ^ "The Glitzy One (AUS) 2007 / Breeding / LOVERACING.NZ". loveracing.nz.
  12. ^ "The Chosen One (NZ) 2015 / Breeding / LOVERACING.NZ". loveracing.nz.
  13. ^ "Woodbine Farm - Thoroughbred Stud in New Zealand. Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2011.