For all her freakish talent, champion mare Ladies In Red has another big task ahead from a tricky barrier at Melton on Friday night.
Harness racing’s glamour girl was beaten for just the fifth time in 24 starts when a fighting second from a bad barrier behind stablemate and arch rival Tough Tilly in the Group 3 Make Mine Cullen at Melton last Saturday week.
It is the third time Tough Tilly has upstaged Ladies In Red in their nine clashes.
Tough Tilly had the benefit of the front row and led last time, but on Friday night she, Ladies In Red and their emerging stablemate Treachery all have back row draws in the 2240m feature.
Ladies In Red will start from 11, Tough Tilly 10 and Treachery from nine.
Driver David Moran was proud of Ladies In Red’s first-up run, but conceded this week won’t be much easier.
“There are upsides this time. Tough Tilly is drawn the back row with and we go from the 1720m to 2240m – the longer the better with my mare,” he said.
“You couldn’t ask any more from her first-up. Tough Tilly whizzed across and got the front easily in a slow lead time. It was almost mathematically impossible for me then, but we came around and Ladies In Red never stopped trying. We just couldn’t run her down.
“Maybe if the lead time had been quicker and/or they’d gone an extra couple of hundred metres, who knows.”
Treachery’s late closing third from near the rear in that same race really impressed Moran.
“She’s closed the gap on the other mares from last season,” he said.
“It’s no longer a match between Ladies In Red and Tough Tilly, Treachery is right there with them on what she did last time.
“We’re in for some great racing. I’m sure Ladies In Red is still the best of them, but the others are outstanding, too. Ladies In Red won’t be able to dominate them like has done most of her career.
“Just like this week’s race, it’ll come down to draws and who gets where in running. On what I saw last time, if Treachery got the front, Ladies In Red would struggle to sit outside and beat her.”
Ultimately, Friday’s race is another entree as the second leg of the Victorian Mares’ Triple Crown.
The big dance is the $100,000 Group 1 Queen Of The Pacific at Melton on October 29.
“I’m hoping to win this week, but we’ll need some luck,” Moran said. “I’m most looking forward to the Queen of the Pacific when we stretch out to the 2760m. Ladies In Red will love and she’s proven over and over again in the biggest races.”
