Lee sounds caution on Jilliby Ballerini hype

Australian reinsman Jason Lee admits the mystery horse of New Zealand Cup day comes with a risk.

So he warns punters Jilliby Ballerini is no good thing even as the surprise $2.80 favourite in today’s $400,000 Renwick Farms Dominion at Addington.

While die-hard harness fans may have seen Jilliby Ballerini starring in Victoria recently well over 90 per cent of New Zealand harness racing fans would never have seen her race.

Here is the snapshot: Four-year-old mare trained by the same stable as champion youngster Keayang Zahara, used to be a bit erratic but looks calmer now.  And can run like the wind.

But Jilliby Ballerini has also only had one career standing start, which she won, today is her first 3200m race and she has never even been out of Victoria until last week.

“To be honest, I thought she was a bit short,” admits Lee.

“Make no mistake, she is good enough to win otherwise she wouldn’t be coming over and she is really fast.

“Like I don’t think Zahara could sit parked outside her over the short trip and beat her.

“But she is going to need to be a quick learner cause she will never have seen a front line like she will on Tuesday and the hard run 3200m.

“So I realise this has its challenges.”

If Jilliby Ballerini steps cleanly and can stay handy, especially on a moderate tempo, her young legs may too fast for the old boys and she could do something spectacular.

But her $2.80 favouritism is hard to comprehend.

While she has had the wood on Inter Dominion champion Arcee Phoenix recently there is a lot of been-there, done-that about the latter and his $9 is the best each way value of today’s entire meeting because if he leads he will take enormous pegging back.

There is enough to like about Mighty Logan, Rowe Cup winner Bet N Win and Queensland trotter Gus to suggest they could all win without stunning which leaves us the two old heroes of New Zealand trotting in Oscar Bonavena and Muscle Mountain.

Both are majestic examples of the trotter when their bodies and minds are in sync, blessed with turbo-charged motors but cursed with the dents that come from going too fast for too long.

If the Canterbury sun warms their old muscles today, they step away and are put to sleep until their rivals get weary they could do something dazzling in the last 400m so don’t let anybody talk you out of backing them.

So often the Dominion, our greatest trot, has been won by equine giants who have stomped around Addington mercilessly.

Today’s Dominion doesn’t have one of those.

So it might come down to who can handle the pressure, cover the least ground and, ultimately at the end of 3200m, wants it the most.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Michael Guerin, for Harness Racing New Zealand