Emerging four-year-old Rhapsody Chic (NZ) (Sacred Falls) extended his winter winning sequence to four with an impressive performance in Saturday’s A$130,000 Sportsbet Feed Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield.
The son of Sacred Falls was born in New Zealand and was a winner on debut at Matamata last winter before crossing the Tasman, where he placed in all of his first four starts.
The gelding collected his first Australian win in a Benchmark 64 handicap at Seymour in late May, and he never looked back from there. Rhapsody Chic has gone on to win a Benchmark 70 at Sandown, a Benchmark 78 at Randwick and Saturday’s Benchmark 84 at Caulfield.
Rhapsody Chic was only a $5.50 third favourite against a form-filled field on Saturday, but jockey Jye McNeil gave him an ideal run in midfield. McNeil was able to get on the back of The Open (Deep Field) as that highly rated favourite strode forward to challenge the leader at the home turn, and it became a two-horse race from that point on.
Rhapsody Chic quickened smartly to move up on the outside of The Open with 150m remaining. That rival found a bit more and fought back hard, but Rhapsody Chic gradually got the upper hand and prevailed by a neck.
“You’re usually happy to have gate three, but with this race being so late in the day, there was a bit of a concern when the rain came today,” McNeil said. “Fortunately we were able to get the best run I could have hoped for.
“The key with him was getting him out of the barriers, which he’s had issues with in the past. He put himself in a great position today. When it came down to a battle in the straight, I knew he’d give me everything he’s got.
“I wanted to get on the back of The Open at the turn and get a bit of a trail into the race, which I was able to achieve, and then we got over the top of him late. That horse was in for the fight, but my horse dug deep and was able to get the win.”
Trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman and racing in the colours of syndicators Roll The Dice Racing, Rhapsody Chic has now had nine starts for five wins, four placings and A$227,949.
Sam Freedman has not been surprised by Rhapsody Chic’s progress this winter.
“Coming into this preparation, we were very confident that he’d come back well,” he said. “He’s a typical Kiwi – tough and genuine, and he likes to get his toe into the ground. Those runs he had on firm decks hardened him up, and he’s really come into his own this winter with some give in the ground.
“It’s never easy to win four races in a row, so it’s a real credit to all of our team.
“Today was a bit of a test to see where he could get to. He’s shown that he could potentially be a nice chance from down in the weights in a good handicap at some stage, whether it’s in the spring or the autumn. In the right track conditions, he’s very capable.”
Rhapsody Chic was bred by Blandford Lodge owners Helen-Gaye and Graham Bax. He is by Sacred Falls out of the Pour Moi (Montjeu) mare Boho Chic (NZ), who is a half-sister to Singapore’s Champion Two-Year-Old, Three-Year-Old and Four-Year-Old Better Than Ever (French Deputy).
Kurtis Pertab paid just $700 to buy Rhapsody Chic as a weanling from a Gavelhouse.com auction in May of 2020. Pertab later offered him at the 2021 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, where he failed to meet his $25,000 reserve.
Rhapsody Chic remained in Pertab’s Matamata stable and won by three lengths on his home track last June in his only New Zealand start before being purchased privately by Roll The Dice.
