Pleasure from filly’s top Crown display

Sheza Pleasure put herself right at the top of punters’ calculations for the Group 1 Cobbitty Equine Farm Breeders Crown Series 3YO Trotting Fillies Final with a clinical display in the heats at Maryborough on Thursday.

The New South Wales-based filly produced a mini boilover when she worked to the front from barrier three and then emerged the strongest in a two-horse war with favourite Banglez, who peaked on her run in the home straight and faded to be beaten nearly 10m.

It was a rewarding triumph for trainer KerryAnn Morris and husband/driver Robbie, who was pleased to see the daughter of Bacardi Lindy back to her best after making a mistake and being pulled up in a heat of the Victoria Trotters Derby on October 24.

“I thought this filly was pretty good, but she disheartened me a little bit when she came here and nothing went her way Derby time. I would have liked to see her do everything right and she hasn’t had a run since then, so I was a bit worried it might have been in the back of her head,” Robbie said.

“But she trotted faultlessly today and it’s a great credit to the team at home and Kerry – they’ve had her tuned to the minute.”

Sheza Pleasure won the Group 1 Vicbred Platinum Home Grown Classic 2YO Trotting Fillies Final when trained by owner Dennis Paton back in October of last year before being sent interstate to the Morris stable, which she’s now won three races for.

And the Camden South-based team almost produced another upset half an hour later when Aldebaran Ursula went within a head of beating series favourite Queen Elida in the second qualifier.

Robbie Morris and Aldebaran Ursula were headed by Codi Rauchenberger and Honey Bourbon shortly after the start, but retook the lead and controlled the race from the front. Morris then put the foot to the floor in the back straight and tried to steal a winning break on Queen Elida, who had settled towards the rear of the field. And for a moment it looked as though the plan had worked, but Brent Lilley’s multiple Group 1-winning filly got to the lead shortly before the line under the urgings of Chris Alford to stretch her winning sequence to six races.

The slick 27.5 third quarter showed just how quickly Aldebaran Ursula sprinted down the back, with the field recording a mile rate of 2:02.7 over the 2190m trip. It was marginally slower than the first heat, with Sheza Pleasure scoring in 2:02.4.

The top six horses across the line in both heats now move into the $80,000 Group 1 final at Tabcorp Park Melton on November 20.

Last-start Victoria Trotters Derby winner Kyvalley Hotspur was given a scare by Ollivici, but still managed to win his Woodlands Stud Breeders Crown Series 3YO Trotting Colts and Geldings heat.

Champion reinsman Anthony Butt was in the sulky behind the Lilley-trained son of Muscle Hill, who clocked a mile rate of 2:02.0 in his neck victory over Chris Lang’s talented squaregaiter.

“He probably didn’t feel as good today as he did when he won the Derby, but that’ll be by design I’d say. Brent will probably have given him a bit of an easy time since the Derby and (will) then build him back up for next week,” Butt said.

“I think there’s a little bit of improvement in him, but he got the job done. That was the main thing.”

Alex Ashwood-trained Parisian Artiste recorded the fastest of the three heat wins (2:01.2) despite sitting parked throughout his race, while Paddy Lee’s Keayang Ninja sprint-laned to victory during the other qualifier in 2:01.3.

Four horses from each heat have moved through to the $80,000 final on November 20, with barrier draws to be conducted live on TrotsVision on Monday night.

WOODLANDS STUD BREEDERS CROWN SERIES 23 (3YO TROTTING COLTS & GELDINGS) FINAL (GROUP 1)

ALDEBARAN ZEUS

BROMWICH

BULLION HARRY

CENTRAL OTAGO (1st Em)

KEAYANG NINJA

KYVALLEY HEIST NZ

KYVALLEY HOTSPUR NZ

MARENGO BAY

MUFASA METRO NZ

OLLIVICI NZ

PARISIAN ARTISTE

UTOPIA

WATTS UP MAJESTIC

COBBITTY EQUINE FARM BREEDERS CROWN SERIES 23 (3YO TROTTING FILLIES) FINAL (GROUP 1)

ABUNDANCE NZ

ALDEBARAN URSULA

BANGLEZ

EURYPHAESSA

EVAS IMAGE

HONEY BOURBON

KEAYANG XENA

QUEEN ELIDA NZ

QUEEN INVASION

SHE SAILZ

SHEZA PLEASURE

SILENT REVERIE (1st Em)

VISIONARY

To view all the results from Maryborough on Thursday click here.

By Tim O’Connor for HRV