Exciting three-year-old Lilly is among the Canterbury raid on Saturday’s Listed ILT Ascot Park Southland Guineas (1400m), and she’s certainly not there to make up the numbers.
The daughter of War Decree was an impressive winner on debut in October and added a second victory to her name last Wednesday at Riccarton Park, downing the older horses with some authority over 1200m. Ross Beckett, who trains Lilly out of Yaldhurst, has had the $120,000 feature on his radar for some time.
“We’ve always had this race in mind and she’s come through that run really well, I’m more than happy with her,” he said. “It is a quick turnaround for her, but she’s had a lot of work and she’s ready to go.”
Beckett and his wife Cate race the filly, who they bred out of a seven-win mare La Generose. The couple have had plenty of success with the family, training Beneficial, a Highly Recommended mare who was twice placed at Group Three level.
“As a two-year-old, Denby-Rose (Tait, jockey) rode Lilly in a couple of gallops and thought she was one of the quickest she’s sat on, so as soon as she said that I turned her out,” Beckett said. “I figured she would still be quick later on.
“She’s better natured than Beneficial and I think she might be a bit quicker as well. She’s bred to get 2000m being out of a Generous mare and her sister got 1200-2200m, so there’s plenty ahead of her.”
Pivotal Ten, the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m) winner, currently dominates the betting at $1.70, with Lilly a clear second-elect with her regular rider and Beckett’s apprentice Donovan Cooper taking the reins.
Cooper’s two-kilogram claim will be appreciated by stablemate Treybon in the ODT Southern Mile Qualifier – Summer Cup (1600m) as the gelding attempts to confirm his place in the $200,000 ODT Southern Mile Final (1600m) at Wingatui on March 1.
A seven-year-old by Sweynesse, Treybon has found career-best form this campaign winning the Kumara Gold Nuggets (1810m) in January, backed up by a gutsy performance to finish a narrow second to Quintabelle in the ODT Qualifier at Riccarton.
“He hasn’t got enough points to get in the final with one second, so we thought we would go down and hopefully get some more, which gives him a fortnight to recover before going to Wingatui,” Beckett said. “If we’d gone to Ashburton, he’d only have a week.
“The firm tracks are perfect for him and his quarter-cracks are under control at the moment, he’s going really well.”
