Keep The Faith’s 48th individual winner from his first crop was a long time coming for trainer Rebecca Gribble.

Chantoozie (5m Keep The Faith – Court Swinging by Rory’s Jester) scored a sparkling first-up victory in the BC3 Thoroughbreds Maiden Plate (1000m) at Geelong on Friday.  “It’s fantastic,” an emotional Gribble said post-race.  “Everyone’s here – family and friends – and we will celebrate tonight.”

Gribble prepares Chantoozie for her parents Bill and Ann.  She cost $46,000 at the 2009 Inglis Melbourne Autumn yearling sale and they got an immediate return when the filly finished third on debut in the $102,000 Inglis Autumn Plate at Seymour.

But any thoughts of another early pay-day were dashed when Chantoozie was sidelined for two long spells.  She suffered a fractured pelvis and was on the easy list for 18 months prior to injuring a pastern which required another 8 month recovery.

“She had been working well and we were pretty confident,” Bec explained.  “I reckon she will eventually win a race in town but we will keep her in the lower grades for the time being.”

Gribble moved from Ballarat to Cranbourne earlier this year to become an assistant trainer to Robbie Griffiths.  “I brought Chantoozie along with me,” she said.  “I like Keep The Faith and I’ve got another two young ones by him back home.”

Chantoozie is an older half-sister to Swinging Soldier (Soldier’s Tale) who won her maiden by three lengths at Murray Bridge on Wednesday.  Their dam Court Swinging is a three-quarter sister to sprinting sires Real Jester and Seidnazar.

Keep The Faith (Sunday Silence) stands at Greta West Stud for a $4,400 (inc gst) service fee.  He sired stakes winning fillies Lucky Penny and Dinkum Diamond in May and his overall record is 84 winners of 161 races at a 60% strike-rate.

– Karl Patterson