A northern hemisphere mating plan involving one of the world’s best sires has returned an immediate dividend for prominent breeder John Camilleri.
Camilleri has dabbled in sending some of his richly bred mares overseas and a 2021 Frankel covering with Antibes resulted in three-year-old filly Chateau Eze making a winning debut at Benalla on Tuesday.
Chateau Eze, a member of trans-Tasman trainer Mark Walker’s Cranbourne team, ran up to her barrier trial form with an all-the-way victory under Michael Dee.
“She's a filly with a lot of raw ability and she's going to continue furnishing … I think as an autumn filly, she will really come into her own,” Walker’s assistant Ben Gleeson told Racing.com.
A Lonhro mare, Antibes is an unraced half-sister to stakeswinner As Time Goes By from the Group 3 winner A Time for Julia.
After foaling Chateau Eze in the UK, Antibes was served again by Frankel and returned to Australia where she had a colt during the 2024 breeding season.