Celia Shows Family the Gr.1 way

It’s rare in bloodstock circles these days that Waikato Stud’s Garry and Mark Chittick get overshadowed, especially by one of their own.

But when it comes to Saturday’s A$500,000 Gr.1 Myer Classic and Tuesday’s A$6 million Gr.1 Melbourne Cup, it will be Garry’s daughter and Mark’s sister Celia who will be cheering the loudest.

For Celia Crawshaw not only bred Saturday’s Gr.1 Myer Classic aspirant You’re So Good, but the Peter Moody-trained 2012 Gr.1 Queensland Derby winning Savabeel six-year-old gelding Brambles, who confirmed himself as one of the key contenders for the Melbourne Cup with a last-start fourth in the $A3 million Gr.1 Caulfield Cup.

Celia was brought up immersed in breeding and racing but Brambles, who tackles Saturday’s $A1 million Gr.1 Mackinnon Stakes, was the first Group winner she has bred and could now provide her with an unforgettable thrill.

Savabeel, who stands at the Chitticks’ Waikato Stud, is also the sire of fellow Waikato-bred Cup contender Lucia Valentina.

Bred by Blandford Lodge’s Graham and Helen-Gaye Bax, Lucia Valentina is raced by Wellington’s Lib Petagna and managed by Masterton bloodstock agent Bruce Perry. She began her career with Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh but is now with Newcastle trainer Kris Lees.