3 minute read

Banju has been a breakout horse for Lyle Chandler in every way.

Less than 18 months ago, Lyle Chandler was struggling to make ends meet. 

Having relocated to Scone and taken out his trainers' licence at the start of the COVID pandemic, he had barely any horses, little interest from owners and had found himself a regular at the local Bunnings as he sought to kit out a stable from scratch. 

"If we went back fourteen months I would have had two, maybe four horses in (the stable), and then maybe none," Chandler said. 

"I had a few pre-trainers. I didn't really want to be a breaker but if somebody gave me a breaker I'd take it because it was an income stream to upgrade and gave me an opportunity to buy things, like new saddles. 

"We almost didn't have enough to be competitive." 

Thankfully for Chandler, who boasts a resume working for some of Australia's top trainers, the first horse to walk into his barn was Banju. 

The gelding went on to become his first winner, first Highway winner, first Saturday metropolitan winner and at Rosehill this weekend, he will be Chandler's first stakes runner. 

Significantly, Banju heads there in form having won his past three starts to earn a shot at the Listed Parramatta Cup (1900m). 

If not for Banju, Chandler might still be working a side hussle as a breaker. 

The horse's back-to-back Highway Handicap victories in January last year put him on the radar and when Banju was subsequently competitive in the Country Championships qualifiers, it underscored the young trainer's promise. 

"Once Banju won a couple of Highways, that's when we went up to a consistent number of four to six (in work), around last February," he said. 

"It has probably been the last six months we've gone from twelve up to the twenty mark, a lot of them young horses. 

"Like everybody, we are trying to get better quality stock in the stable, that's the target now." 

Chandler's more immediate target is with Banju at Rosehill and while the six-year-old will be on trial at the distance – he has never raced beyond a mile – he is keeping faith. 

He believes Banju is just starting to hone his craft and relaxing better with age. 

Another bold performance will cement plans to freshen him up for his local Scone Cup (1600m) in May, although the horse has already exceeded expectations. 

"It is beyond my wildest dreams that he has put three on the bounce like he has," Chandler said of Banju's winning streak. 

"I would have been happy with just one. To get three, we've been spoilt."