It appears only Jilliby Ballerini stands between her stable mate Keayang Zahara and the $500,000 Summer Of Glory bonus for the trotters after the former took out the Kilmore Trotters Cup.
Jilliby Ballerini, an easing $1.90 favorite, withstood an early challenge for the lead from Im Bobby before travelling kindly at the head of affairs to defeat her stable mate Jilliby Dreamlover by five metres in a mile rate of 1:57.8.
Driver Jason Lee conceded Jilliby Ballerini was not totally wound up for her Kilmore Cup assignment.
“It’s a bit difficult because you are coming into a big race tonight but you sort of got to plan for the future a bit so she is a little bit underdone yet she still did it well,” Lee said.
Lee said he was surprised Jilliby Ballerini had caused a false start at the first attempt of the race.
“It was pretty unlike her especially now, maybe as a three-year-old you might have expected that but she was just a bit keen and a bit fresh and she just threw her head and shied at something on the inside of the track and jumped sideways at it,” he said.
The winner was subsequently placed out of the draw by the stewards and Lee is resigned to finding a trial for Jilliby Ballerini during the week before next week’s Great Southern Star.
“We’ll have to trial her; the same thing happened with Keayang Chucky last year where we were able to get a trial in and had to run in the heat and get back in the draw for the final,” he said.
