The well-bred Baby You A Song makes her race track debut in Hobart on Sunday night, in the Prydes Easifeed Evicus Prelude.
The daughter of Sweet Lou is out of Group 1 winning mare Shez Ryleymak, which makes Baby You A Song a half-sister to last season’s Tasmanian Horse of the Year Ryley Major (pictured).
Although raced by Rohan and Katrina Hillier, Baby You A Song was transferred to the Brighton stables of Paul Ashwood to take advantage of the spacious 2000-metre track at the public Brighton Training Complex to assist with the fillies education process.
“We have a narrow track and she struggled to get around the corners and I just thought the big Brighton track may straighten her up,” said part-owner and driver Rohan Hillier.
Baby You A Song has had two trials in preparation for Sunday night’s debut.
She chased home Pawnbrokers Lad on 13 September before impressing with a 23.8-metre win in 2m 2.0s on Monday evening, with Hillier making the trip south on both occasions to drive.
“The first trial she was doing exactly the same as she was doing at our place, but the second trial she was real good, she went a lot straighter and showed the ability she has got,” said Hillier.
When asked if the filly could win on Sunday on that trial performance, Hillier was quick to respond.
“As long as she does everything right, she will win.”
Hillier rates the main danger as a horse which he trains, the Conor Crook driven Miss Papenhuyzen who was narrowly defeated in the Sweepstakes Fillies Final a fortnight ago.
“She is a seasoned horse that will get around them pretty quick and I think both horses will be hard to beat,” Hillier said.
The strength of the Tasmanian breeding industry is on show, with Marisabel also engaged in the race, the Betting Line filly is out of Gorse Bush, the dam of dual Inter Dominion winner Beautide.
Meanwhile, Baby You A Song’s older half-brother Ryley Major stepped out for the first time this preparation at the Carrick Park trials on Saturday morning, where stablemate Lip Reader defeated him.
“Lip Reader was good, Ryley Major is still a bit fat. They may have a run next week,” the trainer said.
Sunday’s Hobart meeting commences at 16:55, with races one and two on Sky Racing 2, with the remainder of the card on Sky Racing 1.
Other highlights on the card include a prelude of the Prydes Easifeed Dandy Patch, and the THA Pace, where the sole Tasmanian-trained pacer for the Inter Dominion, Harjeet will start from barrier seven.
By Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing