Slight Chance was one of the toughest filly's ever in her 3YO season of 1993/94

Anybody involved in racing back in the early 1990’s will have the fondest memories of the little black daughter of Centaine with the baldy white face. Amazingly tough, but unquestionably feminine, Slight Chance was a true darling of the turf and has lived a remarkable life as has her old sparring partner Burst, who was foaled in the same year of 1989. Burst had the measure of Slight Chance at two, but at three the black filly eventually turned the tables and headed the list for durability.

Slight Chance raced in what today would be recognised as 10 Group One races as a three-year-old, putting her ahead of Surround, who contested nine Group one's and won five of them. Slight Chance was a black filly born in New Zealand in 1989. She was by Centaine (AUS) from his 2nd crop out of Lady Aloof (NZ), and trained by Bob Thomsen at Randwick, who also handled champions, Shogun Lodge and Danewin. He was owned by the Silverdale Lodge Syndicate. Lady Aloof (by Sir Godfrey FR) was a very good galloper, winning 12 and placing 8 times from 25 starts up to 1600m. Her dam, Miss Coventry sported Hyperion and Gainsborough in the bloodlines, while the Sires lineage showed up Ajax II, with a ton of natural speed and power in the pedigree.

Slight Chance won on debut as a pre-Christmas two year-old in December 1991 and went on to finish her juvenile season with 10 starts in total which included four wins, highlighted by a Group one double at the Brisbane Winter Carnival when she won both the Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) and Castlemaine Stakes (1600m). As a spring three year-old, Slight Chance won the Gr.1 Flight Stakes (1600m) and the Gr.1 VRC Oaks (2500m) as well as finishing third in the 1992 Cox Plate and come the autumn added Group I wins in the Ansett Stakes (2000m) and Queensland Oaks (2400m). It was one of the most impressive three-year-old campaigns by any filly and proved just how tough this girl was. She raced on as a four and five year-old, contesting the 1993 Melbourne Cup won by Vintage Crop, and was retired in 1994 with the overall record of 12 wins and 10 placings from 43 starts with earnings topping $1.7million.

At stud, Slight Chance also made her mark producing eight named foals, seven of which raced and all of them won highlighted by Group III winner Salgado and Dane Shadow, who went on to be a successful Group one producing sires for Kitchwin Hills. Slight Chance was officially retired from stud duties in 2012 and spent her final years at Hobartville Stud, but the onset of the warmer summer weather in late November 2020 proved a bridge too far for the 31 year-old matron.


RACE RECORD  - 43: 12-7-3
EARNINGS - $1,747,564

G1 VRC Oaks
G1 Queensland Oaks
G1 AJC Flight Stakes
G1 QTC Sires’ Produce Stakes
G1 Castlemaine Stakes
G1 STC Ansett Australia Stakes
G2 Hill Stakes
G3 NSW Tatt’s RC Roman Consul Stakes
Listed AJC Kindergarten Stakes
Listed QTC Qantas Longreach Handicap