Tilly puts on a tough show

The first leg of the Elizabeth Clarke Mares Triple Crown will only whet the appetite for the two big races to come – the Angelique Club Pace and Benstud Queen Of The Pacific – with the lead trio pouring home in a remarkable 54.1-second last half.

Celebrated horse Ladies In Red overcame her second row draw and rallied to attempt the nigh impossible, but Tough Tilly was outstanding in front, shooting to the lead from the widest gate in a brisk first quarter and holding all challengers to win for her owners, the EB Research Partnership Australia.

They would have been rapt to have seen their beloved butterfly first past the post on Kate Gath’s silks and it was a rapt driver who spoke to TrotsVision post-race.

“What a win, she just did it so easy the whole way,” Gath said of Tough Tilly. “I’m really surprised at that time because it felt way cruisier than that. She’s such a good horse.

“You’re never confident with Ladies In Red (on our outside), but we’ve obviously beaten her … three times now.”

Gath was able to take command of the race from gate seven, crossing all with Dougs Babe (gate four) finding her back. Ladies In Red joined her with a lap to go and it was race on.

“Once I got the 28.2 (first quarter) I thought, it’s pretty good, she’s burnt initially for a 100 but then she come straight back to me,” Gath said.

“The second quarter was pretty cheap and I knew she’d throw out a pretty quick last sectional. She was just super.”

Tough Tilly had every answer as the leaders cleared out from the field, with only Treachery able to keep pace, the third of the Stewart trifecta running on brilliantly to finish within 3.7 metres of the winner after launching from the back of the field.

Ladies In Red split them, finishing just 1.1 metres off Tough Tilly, to maintain her streak of finishing top two in all of her 24 starts, which have included 19 wins.

“It’s bittersweet, but her run was out of this world,” Stewart said of Ladies In Red. “The sectionals were crazy and she had to earn a spot in the breeze. She definitely lost no admirers tonight and her run was super.”

Stewart has long considered Tough Tilly her favourite horse, telling TrotsVision “she’s beautiful and I love her”.

“I was stoked to see her win,” she said. “The draw wasn’t ideal when it came out and it was all going to be a matter of how hard she had to work to find the front. Once she found the front so easily she was always going to be so hard to run down.”

And Stewart was also glowing of Treachery, who was the quickest mare over the last half, home in 26.8 and 26.28 third and fourth quarters despite covering more ground (816 metres) than Tough Tilly (807 metres) and Ladies In Red (811 metres).

“Her run was super as well,” Stewart said. “She trained probably the best this week in track work. Her draw wasn’t ideal to be winning tonight, so her run was super.”

But the biggest smiles were reserved for the EB Research syndicate and Gath, whose building up to run the New York Marathon in the foundation’s honour.

“Some of the syndicate people are here tonight on course, who I don’t think they’ve been here before, it’s really good,” she said.

“I’ve had a few injuries leading up to this marathon and I’ve thought this is nothing, imagine what Tilly (Wilkes) goes through and all those other kids and adults who suffer with it. I can’t wait to get it done.”

For complete race results and replays, click here.

by Michael Howard, for HRV