Thurlow in the chair

The daughter of Sebring - a $150,000 acquisition by David Redvers at the 2014 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale - gained her purchase price back in prize money when landing the Gr.3 Chairman's Stakes at Sandown-Hillside in Melbourne. She was returning from a midsummer break having landed the Listed Santa's Magical Kingdom Stakes and been placed in the Gr3 VRC Emirates Airline Plate during the spring.

Wearing blinkers for the first time, the filly led at the 400m mark under jockey Craig Williams and pulled clear before idling. She won by half a length, conceding 2ks to runner-up Haybah, and Williams said: "Four-hundred metres out I was sitting on a Rolls Royce - she went there so easily. I can't fault her."

Smerdon now has two strong contenders - Thurlow and Fontiton - for the Gr.1 Blue Diamond Stakes, run at Caulfield on February 28, but whether they both run is to be decided.

He said: "We will talk to David Redvers [racing manager for Qatar Bloodstock] and decide if that's the way to go [for Thurlow] or whether there are other options," but he added: "I suppose she has earned her spot there.

"A horse race throws up a lot of variables - barriers, track conditions on the day and run of the race - so if you've got two bullets to fire you might be better off shooting them both."

RACING on ice held no terrors for the Olly Stevens-trained Burning Blaze when he lined up at St Moritz in Switzerland on Sunday.

The five-year-old, ridden by Jamie Spencer, won a seven-runner race by eight lengths, beating fellow British raider Sheikh The Reins to land the first prize of just over £4,000.

Victory was especially sweet for Stevens and his colleagues at Robins Farm Racing, for they travelled Burning Blaze to St Moritz last year only for racing to be abandoned. With enthusiasm galvanised it is planned to run the horse again at the ice-covered track on February 21.