IPSW NOV 17 - JILLILIKES TOUGHS IT OUT

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Ipswich, November 17, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 9m 1600-1200; - out 10m 1200-finish.
3yo QTIS Maiden Plate - 800m. Time: 45.46.
1 Jillilikes; 2 Canadian Joy; 3 Tsarafy.

The Les Kelly trained Jellilikes did it at both ends in this short dash to earn her first career success in her fifth start.

The chestnut jumped smartly from an outside draw and had the speed to cross to the rail where she led narrowly from Canadian Joy as the field turned for home. Canadian Joy was quick to apply pressure early in the straight and the contest then became a race in two as Jellilikes and Canadian Joy went stride for stride down the home stretch.

It was only inside the final 100m that Jellilikes’ absolute commitment to the cause got the better of Canadian Joy who began to weaken, leaving Jellilikes to race away triumphantly over the concluding stages.

The result was a welcome Provincial success for jockey Justin Stanley, who has been away from the action for some time. It was also the first-leg of a race-day double for trainer Les Kelly who later took out the last race at the meeting with Shotime.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Les Kelly: “Yeah, we just put the tongue-tie on her. We weren’t sure that was the problem. She probably needed the run last time too, because she was first-up and she hadn’t trialled.

“You wouldn’t believe it, her half-brother ... a horse in Melbourne ... is a 3000m horse. I think she is a real nice filly. I think she is a town filly and I’m sure she’ll have no trouble getting over a bit more ground.”

Jockey Justin Stanley: “Mate, I’ve been out nearly four years. I’ve been back riding twelve months, but I’ve only been back racing sparingly, you know. I have a few heavyweight rides, but I’ve mainly been riding track-work.

“The reason for that hasn’t really been a weight issue. I just wanted to ride a lot of track-work. I wasn’t ready to really make a commitment and come back and ride full-time, you know. For the last four months I’ve just been riding a lot of work. I travelled a bit ... spent some time in New Zealand, which was really good.

“I’ve been back at the Coast a month trying to really get back into it now. My commitment is now one hundred and ten percent. I’m going better now. I better now than I was before. Mentally-wise, physically ... I’m healthy, you know, Weights better than before I had my fall. Everything’s better, mate.

‘It’s great to be getting a couple of rides back around the South-East Queensland area on TAB days. You are only as good as your last winner sort of thing and you’ve got to let them know you are back out there.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Jellilikes): 5.00 out to 4.00.
Favourite (Chester’s Express): 1.70 steady. Finished sixth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Golden Success (B. Wallace) was slow to begin and lost considerable ground. Breathless Dancer (P. Hammersley) was hampered shortly after the start when tightened for room by Tsarafy (S. Katsidis), which shifted in and away from Prince John (R. Goltz).

After passing the 600m, Brave Hope (D. Barron), which was racing greenly, shifted in across the heels of Jillikes (J. Stanley). As a result, Brave Hope lost ground. Black Treasure (C. Small), which was following, had to be checked for some distance to avoid the heels of Brave Hope. Black Treasure then shifted out and made contact with Chester’s Express (A. Taylor), which was taken out on to Tsarafy.

Approaching the 400m, Black Treasure again had to be restrained to avoid the heels of Brave Hope which, when racing greenly, shifted out. Golden Success (B. Wallace) was inclined to lay out rounding the home turn and as a result made that turn very wide. Tsarafy (S. Katsidis) laid in under pressure in the home straight.

A. Taylor, rider of Chester’s Express, which performed below expectations, explained that the gelding met with some interference near the 500m but failed to respond to her riding from that point and, in her opinion, would be better suited over a longer distance than today's event.

A post race veterinary examination of Chester’s Express revealed the gelding to be making an abnormal respiratory noise. Trainer M. Nolan was advised that he would be required to provide the results of an endoscopic examination and veterinary clearance for the horse prior to its next race start.

Stanley