Hearts will flutter at 9.40pm when a brilliant filly baring a butterfly for EB Research Partnership Australia chases victory for the many families fighting the skin disorder.
Tough Tilly will launch from gate two in the Captain Crunch two-year-old fillies’ final for trainer Emma Stewart and reinswoman Kate Gath, likely carrying race favouritism but also the hopes of a big group of owners and supporters.
A 27-member syndicate purchased a quarter-share in the filly after her breeder, Craig Judd of Benstud Standardbreds, offered it at a 2019 epidermolysis bullosa fundraiser.
“We’ve been increasingly involved in the EB Research foundation because of my daughter, Kendall, having epidermolysis,” Judd said. “I had been trying to come up with something extra to raise money.”
He landed on offering a share in his regally bred two-year-old, who is a half-sister to Breeders Crown runner-up Centenario, winner of $332,520, and close descendant of Philadelphia Man ($559,135).
“She just gave me a really good feel and I thought, if she’s any good, she can help raise awareness and profile for the foundation,” Judd said.
Not only has she done that, she’s also raised vital funds, with the winning bid of “about $25,000” benefitting the foundation as well as introduce a big group of new owners to the sport.
Among them is Corey Wilkes, who is a partnership director and along with wife Kelly runs a ‘Tough Tilly’ fundraiser in Echuca in support of their daughter, Tilly Wilkes, who inspired both the creation of EB Research Foundation and, of course, the horse who races in her name.
“They are a brand new bunch of owners who have never had a harness horse in their life,” Judd said.
“The syndicate is full of great friends of Corey and Kelly. They all jumped into it, just absolutely love her and are really excited.”
They’ve had plenty to love, with Tough Tilly putting in a stunning performance to beat a class field on her May 6 debut.
“Her first start was phenomenal,” Judd said. “I told the other owners I thought she’d go well, but when she was sitting parked outside the colt Act Now I thought she’s going to get tired and be beaten by 30 metres, how am I going to explain that? Then she kicked away and won, we were all shocked.”
And she’s barely put a foot wrong since, despite a succession of tricky draws.
“I don’t think she saw the fence for her first seven starts and had to do work in all her runs.”
Fortunately for connections that luck has turned, with Tough Tilly drawing gate two in last Saturday’s semi-final, when she led and dominated to score by 15 metres, and then gate two again for tonight’s final, with her main rival, Ladies In Red, on the second row.
“We are going to have to be very good to win. Ladies In Red is very exciting, but we’ve got the draw to give her every chance,” Judd said.
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