Lee Chipchase hoping Rogue Millennium 'ready to rock' in Magnolia Stakes at Kempton
The father of two will watch the Dubawi filly return in the Racing TV Magnolia Stakes at Kempton on Saturday before swapping the racecourse for the pits to see the Fen Tigers take on the Kent Royals in the National Development League (NDL) on Sunday.
After enjoying a rollercoaster season with Rogue Millennium, highlighted by an outing in the Oaks at Epsom Downs in June, the 48-year-old now hopes for more of the same from the Tom Clover-trained four-year-old in the 10-furlong Listed feature.
And while Rogue Millennium ended the season failing to beat a rival in the Group Three Newmarket Pony Academy Pride Stakes at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile in October, Chipchase reports last year’s Lingfield Oaks Trial heroine to be showing up well in her work.
Chipchase said: “Last season with Rogue Millennium was unbelievable. However, watching her up the gallops the other week she looks like a different horse and she oozed class compared to others in the string.
“She is forward in her coat and she definitely looks like she has come on. I feel that her last run was just the end of a busy season catching up with her but hopefully we can hit the ground running. I think a mile and a quarter is her ideal trip as I think the mile and a half in the Oaks was a bit too far. We know she doesn’t mind the all-weather as she has run well on it before up at Newcastle.
“I think she will be ready to rock and roll as she has been doing plenty at home. We are looking forward to going there and we know she will try her best."
Although Chipchase is excited about seeing Rogue Millennium return to the race track he admits that he still finds it hard to believe the journey he has already been lucky enough to enjoy with his fellow syndicate members in The Rogues Gallery.
He said: “We purchased her out of the Shadwell dispersal at the Tattersalls December mares’ sale (November 2021). She was bred in the purple and Marcus Tregoning (previous trainer) liked her as a two-year-old, even though she never got to the track.
“There we are as a group of lads that have put our money into a filly that had never run before and after winning her first two starts we are playing with the big boys in the Oaks which is just mental.
“Although she came seventh it was still a great day out for all of us. At one stage it looked like she was going to get closer than she did. To say you have had a runner in the Oaks is fairy tale stuff and is what dreams are made of.”
Rogue Millennium’s time on the track will be limited this season with a date in the breeding sheds already pencilled in and Chipchase hopes that her spirit will live on through her offspring.
He added: “The plan is that all being well after her first run she will go to Ireland to be covered by Sea The Stars.
“If we go through with that she will have one, or potentially, two more runs while in foal before moving on to pastures new, but those plans are fluid at the moment depending on how she is and what result she achieves on the track first time out.
"Hopefully her legacy will carry on through her offspring as we all feel she has the right temperament to be a good mum."
Long after Rogue Millennium has returned to the comfort of her stable the new look Fen Tigers will bid to get their NDL campaign off to a flyer in front of fans at Mildenhall Stadium against a much changed Royals side.
After watching the Fen Tigers finish runner-up in both the NDL and the NDL Knock Out Cup last season behind the Leicester Lion Cubs the avid Arsenal fan has high hopes that they can go one better in both competitions this season.
He said: “We go into the first meeting optimistic. Alfie Bowtell is a true number one and Lee Complin is an exciting rider at number five and I think the crowd will love him as he has a real good spirit.
“We’ve not seen much of George Congreve but we hope he will be another crowd favourite while Josh Warren is back for more after a good season last year.
“Ben Trigger is another new face to the team but he has gone well around Mildenhall as an opposing rider. Arran Butcher ended last season in good form for Oxford in this division while William Richardson is a new starter but he has got plenty of backing and all the lads believe in him.
“Without sounding big headed, I don’t think the Kent will give us many problems. I think it is better starting off against them as opposed to one of the big boys like Leicester or Oxford as it takes a lot of pressure off the lads.
“I hope we have got a team that is capable of making the play-offs as we don’t go in this just to compete we go in this to try and get something out of it.
“If we can win all our home meetings and get a couple of away wins then we have a good chance of getting in one of those two play-off spots at the end of the season.”
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