Chelsea Rose

On her racecourse debut Chelsea Rose started the 11/2 fourth choice in the betting in a thirteen-runner maiden race over seven furlongs at Leopardstown Racecourse on 9 June. Racing on good to firm ground she headed the Aidan O'Brien-trained favourite Silk And Scarlet a furlong out and won "comfortably" by two lengths.[7] On 8 August the filly was stepped up in class for the Group 2 Debutante Stakes over the same distance at the Curragh but after disputing the lead for most of the way she was overtaken in the closing stages and came home third behind Silk And Scarlet and Luas Line.

Despite her defeat in the Debutante, Chelsea Rose was moved up to Group 1 class for the Moyglare Stud Stakes over the same course and distance on 5 September and started at odds of 9/1 in a twelve-runner field. Silk And Scarlet started favourite, while the other fancied runners included Jewel In The Sand (winner of the Albany Stakes and Cherry Hinton Stakes), Saoire, Slip Dance (Empress Stakes) and the Jim Bolger-trained Pictavia. After racing just behind the leaders as Drama set the pace, Chelsea Rose went to the front two and a half furlongs from the finish and stayed on well to repel several challengers in the closing stages. She crossed the finishing line three quarters of a length in front of Pictavia, with Saoire, Umniya, Belle Artiste and Silk And Scarlet close behind.[8]

Pat Shanahan, who had won the Irish Oaks on the Collins-trained Princess Pati in 1984 said "It's fantastic to ride another group one for Con after all the years we've worked together. My filly traveled really well and as I knew she would stay I decided to kick on almost three (furlongs) down. The ground wasn't ideal for her – she likes a bit of an ease – but it wasn't as fast as it was when she ran here last month and that helped her".[9] Con Collins commented "I thought she had a bit of a chance, but they were good fillies in the race and it was hard to be confident. I thought she would run well, but I didn't back her. I haven't backed one for about three years. The money is so good when you win a race these days, there is no point".[9] Collins' daughter Tracy added "We deliberately didn't enter her in the Guineas because we've always felt anything she did this year would be a bonus. Her career next year will be planned around the Irish Oaks".[10]

Chelsea Rose missed the first part of the 2005 season, and returned to the track in the Silver Stakes over ten furlongs at Lepardstown on 8 June in which she was matched against male opposition and older horses including Sublimity, Solskjaer (Royal Whip Stakes) and Napper Tandy (Diamond Stakes). Carrying a seven-pound weight penalty for her Group 1 win she took the lead in the straight and rallied after being headed by the favourite Merger to regain the advantage and win by a head.[11] In the Pretty Polly Stakes two weeks later she started second favourite but ran poorly and came home ninth of ten runners behind Alexander Goldrun. In the Irish Oaks in July she was moved up in distance but made no impact and finished unplaced in a race won by the French-trained Shawanda.

On 14 August Chelsea Rose was theoretically dropped to Listed class for the Ballyroan Stakes over one and a half miles at Leopardstown and started third choice in the betting behind Shalapour (third in the Irish Derby) and Vinnie Roe. After racing at the rear of the field she moved up on the outside to make her challenge in the straight, by which point Vinnie Roe had gone to the front. Shalapour overtook Vinnie Roe a furlong out, but Chelsea Rose produced a sustained run to take the lead in the closing stages and won by three quarters of a length.[12] Tracey Collins commented "She is very tough and genuine and the horses are only now starting to run well".[13] Three weeks later the filly returned to all-female competition and started 2/1 favourite for the Listed Dance Design Stakes over nine furlongs at the Curragh. She raced in third place before going to the front a furlong and a half from the finish and drew away from her opponents to win "easily" by two lengths from Pictavia.[14]

The Dance Design Stakes proved to be Chelsea Rose's last victory. In the Blandford Stakes at the Curragh September she stayed on in the straight without ever looking likely to win and finished fourth to the British-trained favourite Red Bloom. In October she was sent to Italy and came home third of the nine runners behind Dubai Surprise in the Group 1 Premio Lydia Tesio.

As a four-year-old, Chelsea Rose failed to win in six races but ran well in defeat on several occasions. Ridden by Willie Supple in her first two races, she finished fourth in the Blue Wind Stakes at Naas Racecourse in May, and then failed by a neck to hold off the late challenge of Mustameet in the Listed Glencairn Stakes at Leopardstown. In the Pretty Polly Stakes on 1 July she produced her best effort when she rallied after being headed inside the final furlong but narrowly failed to overhaul the favored Alexander Goldrun.[15] In August she ran for the only time in England and finished fourth to Ouija Board in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, before returning to the Curragh to run second to Mustameet when favourite for the Royal Whip Stakes. For her final start Chelsea Rose was sent to France to contest the Prix de Royallieu over 2500 metres at Longchamp Racecourse on 30 September. She reached second place in the straight but then faded and finished seventh of the eight runners.