Feature win for filly

By Tim O’Connor (HRV)

Patrick Ryan was celebrating a rare big-race success as trainer when Little Miss Lily pounced late to win the Alabar Vicbred Platinum Home Grown Classic Final for the three-year-old fillies, at last Saturday night’s big features at Tabcorp Park Melton.

Driver Damian Wilson managed to dig the horse up from barrier eight to hold the back of early leader Major Drama, with the daughter of Lennytheshark then pulling to her outside entering the straight and sprinting best to win by a half-neck over Lennys Angel.

“Pat said she’d probably be better for the run from last week and she was just able to hold the leader’s back tonight which made all the difference,” Wilson said.

“Ellen (Tormey and Major Milestone) nearly got in front of me early and I just poked through with my legs I think, but that was the winning move in the end of the race.”

Little Miss Lily has now won two of seven starts for her large ownership group and breeder Staffordshire Park.

Also, the supremely-bred Bay Of Biscay scored a great win on debut in the IRT Australia Shakamaker Classic for Stewart and James Herbertson before the Laura Crossland trained-and-driven Cheyella upstaged Encipher in the Allied Express Blossom Lady.