Trainer Sterling Alexiou expresses confidence in Chilly Girl's performance for the upcoming Tea Rose Stakes at Randwick after her second-place finish in the Furious Stakes. Despite facing challenges during the Furious Stakes, including being held up behind other horses, Chilly Girl showed strength through the line, encouraging Alexiou to predict a strong showing in Saturday’s 1400m race where she is currently the $3.30 favorite. Additionally, Alexiou discusses another stable runner, General Salute, who is set to compete in the Bill Ritchie Handicap after successful trials and consistent performances throughout his comeback from surgery.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Trainer Sterling Alexiou has taken positives out of the negatives of Chilly Girl’s Furious Stakes (1200m) run as he looks confidently to the 1400m of the group 2 Tea Rose Stakes on Saturday at Randwick.
asserted
he → take → Randwick
Chilly Girl finished a half-length second to Bangkok Hottie in the group 2 Furious Stakes two weeks ago, which followed a first-up win over Blue Door in the listed 1100m Rosebud.
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which → finish → Rosebud
Bangkok Hottie came down the outside of leader and favourite Pembrey in the Furious.
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Hottie → come → Furious
Chilly Girl was held up briefly behind Pembrey before coming down the inside from the 300m.
Alexiou, who trains in partnership with Gerald Ryan, believed the signs were good for Chilly Girl stepping up to 1400m and he hoped she could find the front from gate two and prove hard to beat on Saturday.
uncertain
she → hold → Saturday
Chilly Girl was $3.30 TAB favourite on Thursday, ahead of Bangkok Hottie ($4.80) and Striking Alibi ($3.90), which flashed home for third in the Furious.
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which → flash → Furious
“She was good through the line and did everything right,” Alexiou said of the Furious.
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Alexiou → do → Furious
“We rode leaders back and the favourite just took us nowhere, just in a position where we were being dictated back to the rail, which probably didn’t end up being the greatest spot on the track on the day.
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which → ride → day
“But she’s come through it really good and is ready for a peak performance on Saturday.
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she → come → Saturday
“We sort of felt 1400 wouldn’t be an issue for her, but you don’t really know until you get there.
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you → feel → her
But just seeing her held up and still being strong through the line and after the line, it augurs well for 1400 on Saturday.”
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it → see → Saturday
Tim Clark also rides for the stable in the group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) when General Salute returns off two winning trials.
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Salute → rid → trials
Now six, General Salute had a productive comeback winter from bone chip surgery, winning the 1400m Winter Stakes and placing in two other listed races.
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Salute → have → races
He was a $15 chance to resume a winner from gate four in the Epsom Handicap qualifier.
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He → resume → qualifier
“He’s got a good foundation, obviously coming off not much of a turnaround through the winter,” Alexiou said.
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Alexiou → get → winter
“His two trials have been as good as he’s ever trialled.
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he → trialle → ?
It’s quite a deep race on Saturday, but he’s a super consistent horse, probably the only thing he doesn’t find in his favour is there won’t be a bit of cut out of the track.
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he → ’ → track
He really enjoys getting his toe in, but he does nothing but run well.
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he → enjoy → nothing
“He’ll probably go to the Alan Brown Stakes after this, then we’ll work out where we head with him.”
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we → go → him
The six-year-old runs in the third, a 1600m benchmark 88, after two sixths since returning from close to two years off the scene with injury.
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old → run → injury
“He’s getting better,” Alexiou said.
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Alexiou → get → ?
“His fitness is nearly there now, so expecting good improvement out of his last run.
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fitness → expect → run
If he gets a nice run in transit, he won’t be far away Saturday, and he’ll be more or less cherry ripe at his next start.”
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he → get → start
Meanwhile, Alexiou said Skyhook was set to contest the Shannon Stakes next week at Rosehill after recovering from his Theo Marks Stakes win last Saturday.
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Skyhook → say → win
On Friday at Newcastle, the stable expects Snitzel Dancer to improve off her first-up fifth in the Mona Lisa Stakes when she tackles the group 3 Tibbie Stakes (1400m).
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she → expect → Stakes
Winner of the group 3 James Carr in the autumn, Snitzel Dancer was making up ground late down the outside at Wyong and steps up another 50m on Friday.
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Dancer → make → Friday
“She ran OK first up,” Alexiou said.
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Alexiou → run → ?
“Probably the tight track around there probably didn’t suit her.
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track → suit → her
I think the step up in trip and bigger tracker at Newcastle will be to her liking.
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step → think → liking
She’s going well and has improved off the first-up run.”
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She → go → run
Stablemate Matias was down to race in the group 3 Cameron Handicap (1500m) but he could be saved for a benchmark race next Saturday at Rosehill.
uncertain
he → race → Rosehill
He has not raced since winning the 2000m Frank Packer Plate and pulling up with a joint injury.
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He → race → injury
“He’s first-up and off only on trial,” he said.
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he → ’s → trial
“He’s coming off a bit of a setback, so it’s about getting him back, getting him race fit and just seeing what’s around and what might fit into his preparation.
uncertain
what → come → preparation
He’s a Magic Millions horse so that’s probably something we’ll look at later in his preparation, freshen him up and head to Queensland.”
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we → ’ → Queensland
He said Big Dance qualifiers, the Craven Plate and Melbourne races were on the table for the four-year-old.
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qualifiers → say → old
The Aporia
