The Phantom Chance (foaled 3 November 1989) is a New Zealand

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

who won the

New Zealand Derby The New Zealand Derby is a set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run over a distance of 2,400 metres (12 furlongs) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held on the first Saturday in March, as the opening day o ...

in 1992 and

Cox Plate The W. S. Cox Plate is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and over under Weight for age conditions, over a distance of 2040 metres (approximately 1m 2f), that is held by the Moonee Valley Racing Club at Moo ...

in 1993, earning over $2 million in his 44-race career.

Family

The Phantom Chance, a gelding by Noble Bijou out of The Fantasy, was a member of one of New Zealand's best-known Thoroughbred families bred by A.G (Tony), K.J. (Joe), M.C. (Martin), and P.R. (Ray) Dennis (the Dennis brothers). This family features a number of horses whose names begin with 'The', including: * The Pixie (1968, Mellay - The Kurd): 1981 Broodmare of the Year (who produced The Twinkle and The Fantasy). * The Fantasy (1974, Gate Keeper - The Pixie): 1994 Broodmare of the Year. * The Twinkle (1975, Gate Keeper - The Pixie). * The Dimple (1977,

Noble Bijou A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Gr ...

- The Pixie) winner of 16 races. Dam of Irish Chance, winner of the 1999

Auckland Cup The Auckland Cup is an annual race held by the Auckland Racing Club (ARC). It is an Open Handicap for thoroughbred racehorses competed on the flat turf over 3200 metres (two miles) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. The race was ...

The Phantom ''The Phantom'' is an American adventure comic strip, first published by Lee Falk in February 1936. The main character, the Phantom, is a fictional costumed crime-fighter who operates from the fictional African country of Bangalla. The charact ...

(1985, Noble Bijou - The Fantasy, a full-brother to The Phantom Chance), winner of the 1990

Underwood Stakes The Underwood Stakes is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race, run over 1800 metres under weight-for-age conditions, held at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in late September each year. Total prize money for the ra ...

and 1993 McKinnon Stakes. * The Grin (1992, Grosvenor - The Dimple): winner of the 1996 Southland Guineas and 2003 Broodmare of the Year. * The Jewel (1999,

O'Reilly O'Reilly ( ga, Ó Raghallaigh) is a group of families, ultimately all of Irish Gaels, Gaelic origin, who were historically the kings of East Bréifne in what is today County Cavan. The clan were part of the Connachta's Uí Briúin Bréifne kin ...

- The Grin): winner of 11 races including the 2002

New Zealand 1000 Guineas The 1000 Guineas is a Group One set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run over a distance of 1600 metres (1 mile) at Riccarton Park in Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch New Zealand Cup week It is on the final Satu ...

New Zealand International Stakes The International Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run at Te Rapa Racecourse in Hamilton in early February every year. The 2010 running was sponsored by the connections of stallion Darci Brahma, after being sponsored for many years by Cambridg ...

Doomben Roses The Roses, registered as The Doomben Roses, is a Brisbane Racing Club Group 3 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old filles, run under Set Weights conditions over a distance of 2000 metres at Doomben Racecourse, Brisbane, Australia during t ...

as well as runner-up in the

New Zealand 2000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas is a Group One set-weight Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of 1600 metres at Riccarton Park in Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch New Zealand cup week The New Zealand 2000 Guineas is hel ...

New Zealand Oaks The New Zealand Oaks is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run at set weights over a distance of 2400 metres ( miles) on the third Saturday of March every year at Trentham Racecourse in Wellington, New Zealand. It was r ...

and

Queensland Oaks The Queensland Oaks is a Brisbane Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies, at set weights, run over a distance of 2400 metres at Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane during the Queensland Winter Racing Carnival. Total p ...

. * The Glitzy One (2007, Flying Spur - The Jewel): winner of 8 races. * The Chosen One (2015,

Savabeel Savabeel is a retired Australian Thoroughbred race horse and active Horse breeding#Terminology, sire. He is best known for his win in the 2004 Cox Plate. He was trained by Graeme Rogerson, and ridden by Chris Munce in his most important wins. B ...

- The Glitzy One): winner of the 2019 Manawatu Classic (G3 2200m),

Frank Packer Plate The Frank Packer Plate is an Australian Turf Club Group One, Group 3 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds at set weights run over a distance of 2000 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia during the Autumn Carnival. Total prizemon ...

and

Herbert Power Stakes The Herbert Power Stakes is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race held under quality handicap conditions, for horses aged three years old and older, over a distance of 2400 metres. It is held at Caulfield Racecourse in Melb ...

and 2022

Thorndon Mile The Thorndon Mile (formally WRC George Adams Handicap) is a Group One (G1) Thoroughbred horse race contested at Trentham Racecourse by the Wellington Racing Club. The race is run on Wellington Cup day, traditionally the last Saturday of January. ...

. Also 4th and 5th in the

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

and

2021 Melbourne Cup The 2021 Melbourne Cup (known commercially as the 2021 Lexus Melbourne Cup) was the 161st running of the Melbourne Cup, a prestigious Australian Thoroughbred horse race. The race, run over , was held on 2 November 2021 at Melbourne's Flemingto ...

Racing career

The gelding didn't race at two and made a slow start to his three-year-old career, finishing third in his first two starts. But then he won eight races on end, six of them at stakes level, including the Derby and the Group 1 Cambridge Stud International Stakes against the older horses to confirm his status as New Zealand's champion three-year-old for the season. His

win gave trainer

Colin Jillings Colin Maurice Jillings (11 March 1931 – 23 December 2022) was a New Zealand Thoroughbred horse racing trainer from the early 1950s until his retirement in September 2005. He was inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame in 2008. Early ...

his fifth win in the race, a number that no other trainer has matched. As a four-year-old the horse's great success continued not only in New Zealand but also across the Tasman. He started his Australian career with a narrow win in the

Turnbull Stakes The Turnbull Stakes is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race, for horses four years old and older, run under set weights with penalties conditions over a distance of 2,000 metres. The race is held at Flemington Racecourse, Melb ...

at Flemington, and after a Group 1 placing at Caulfield became the second New Zealand Derby winner in three years (after

Surfers Paradise Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...

) to win the

, beating fellow New Zealander Solvit by a length and a half in the 1993 running of Australia's weight-for-age championship. On 28 November 1993, ridden by Robert Vance, he placed 12th of 16 in the

Japan Cup The is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions with ...

won by Legacy World. He was three places behind the Australian entrant, Naturalism. He continued to race through to the age of 8, and occasionally experienced success in both New Zealand and Australia at stakes level. He wasn't the same horse as he was at three and four though, and as a result his record probably looks less impressive now than it should.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phantom Chance 1989 racehorse births Racehorses bred in New Zealand Racehorses trained in New Zealand Thoroughbred family 2-b

Family

Racing career

See also

References