Beat The Bank's pricey half-sister bidding to beat the boys on debut

Newbury will on Friday be the launchpad for the career of the latest beautifully bred newcomer this autumn, as the half-sister to Beat The Bank who cost 500,000gns as a yearling is declared for the first division of the 6f two-year-old maiden (1.10) at the Berkshire venue.

Chil Chil, as the filly by Exceed And Excel has been named, is trained by Andrew Balding for King Power Racing, having been purchased by Alastair Donald for the cool half a million at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

View Friday's card at Newbury

As well as being a half-sister to Beat The Bank – a Paco Boy gelding who has won four Pattern races for the same connections, including the Group 2 Celebration Mile last month – she is also a full-sister to the dual 6f winner Salt Island, who finished fourth to Muhaarar in the Commonwealth Cup.

The siblings were bred by Denniff Farms out of the Listed-placed Diktat mare Tiana, who was bred by Mick and Fiona Denniff, sold by them as a yearling to Darley for 90,000gns, and bought back by the husband and wife team for just 35,000gns after her racing career and having produced a filly foal for Wickham Stud.

Tiana is a half-sister to the stakes-placed two-year-olds Above N Beyond (also by Exceed And Excel) and Mary Read. The latter is the granddam of Molecomb Stakes winner and Commonwealth Cup runner-up Kachy, who was also bred by the Denniffs.

Tiana and co are out of Denniff Farms' foundation mare Hill Welcome, a Most Welcome half-sister to Middle Park Stakes winner Stalker who the breeders miraculously managed to pick up for just 3,000gns as a three-year-old at the now defunct Doncaster Lincoln Sale in 2001.

Tiana has a Showcasing yearling filly heading to Book 2 and a Muhaarar filly foal, and her breeding exploits earned her a liaison with Dubawi this year.

Hill Welcome is still in service for the Denniffs at the age of 20, and has a Twilight Son colt foal and was covered by Brazen Beau earlier in 2018.

Rob Hornby takes the ride on Chil Chil, who has been set a challenging task for her debut as she takes on 12 rivals, ten of them colts, seven of whom have already run and posted a top-four placing.

True Hero, a Charm Spirit colt out of Marygate Stakes scorer Beldale Memory who finished a close second on debut at Windsor for William Haggas, looks likely to start favourite.

The second division of the maiden at Newbury at 1.45 also contains some well-bred debutants, the pick of which might be the Marcus Tregoning-trained Mohaather, a Showcasing brother to dual US Grade 2 winner and Del Mar Oaks third Prize Exhibit and half-brother to Roodle, the dam of this season's Queen Anne Stakes hero Accidental Agent.

Beat The Bank: has won four Pattern races for the connections of Chil ChilCredit: Edward Whitaker

Mohaather, bred by Gaie Johnson Houghton, was knocked down to Shadwell for 110,000gns at Book 2 on the same day that Chil Chil stopped the show with her sale.

Another well-bred big-selling newcomer to watch out for at Newbury is Fashion's Star, who contests the Dubai Duty Free Full of Surprises EBF Fillies' Conditions Stakes at 4.30.

The Roger Charlton inmate is a chestnut filly by Sea The Stars – just like Sea Of Class – out of German 1,000 Guineas fifth Ninas Terz, a half-sister to Hong Kong celebrity Pakistan Star.

She was bought by Jamie McCalmont for owner Andrew Rosen for €400,000 from the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale in May.

Read more about the breeder of Beat The Bank...

The 3,000gns filly who has founded a fine dynasty for Fiona Denniff