Trots Centre: Fernando out to add another picket to fence

Jilliby Fernando has gone from promising youngster to winning machine in the space of just a few weeks.

The son of Captaintreacherous had one run as a two-year-old – a third placing behind Platinum Sparkle in Ballarat during the middle of 2020 – and after more than 12 months away from the races, has come back as a powerful and impressive three-year-old.

Trainer Paddy Lee has given a pat on the back to Swedish-born conditioner Kima Frenning, who prepared the colt in the months leading up to his return from a spell on July 26.

Since then, he’s strung together front-running wins at Maryborough, Cranbourne, Bendigo and Terang, with the most recent triumph in a 57-68 ratings event on Tuesday evening.

And he’ll be back at the track on Friday night in Bendigo - just three days after the success in his home town - for his biggest assignment yet.

“He’s a tough horse, handles the work really well and handles his racing really well,” Lee said.

“He’s racing really good and you can also use the advantage of backing him up and getting a better barrier draw as well.”

Lee said there had always been good wraps on the bay colt and suggested that it was really no surprise he’d returned to the races and strung together a sequence of wins.

“The ability that he did show when he was a two-year-old, I sort of expected him to come back and be a pretty nice horse when he filled out,” Lee said.

“We just had to give him the time to mature, grow and fill into himself. He’s come back this time and done a really good job.

“Kima did a really good job at having him where he needed to be. We’ve sort of just ticked him over for three weeks and he’s just rolled through his grades really nicely.”

Lee described the horse as the “perfect package” given his ability to run the gate and drop anchor, as well as show high speed while being tough at the same time.

“I don’t think he’s any superstar or an elite horse, but he’s a nice horse to train,” he said.

Lee thinks Jilliby Fernando has what it takes to stretch his picket fence to five at Lord’s Raceway when he lines up in the Share Media Pace (1650m) against 65-79 rated rivals. Among those is the ultra-consistent Would You Mind from the Julie Douglas stable, Kent Harpley’s impressive last-start winner Boxofchocolates and Maree Caldow’s Moonlight Drive.

Jilliby Fernando’s stablemate Keayang Xena is also in the float on Friday and will shoot for two-straight wins in the Bendigo Locksmiths Vicbred Trot (2150m).