Willygood secures Cleveland Bay spot
WITH a blazing final 100m, Willygood made a bold statement about her Cleveland Bay credentials.
The Roy Chillemi-trained mare had not factored in many pundits’ first-choice field for the feature carnival sprint, but after smashing a group of horses well above her grading on Thursday the mare has left little doubt about her standing.
Held up in severe traffic on the home straight in her first weight-for-age, open company showing, veteran jockey Graham Kliese turned Willygood 90 degrees at the 400m marker. By the 200m she was galloping solo in the clear air on the centre of the Cluden Park straight.
By the 100m marker she was in front.
At the finishing post Kliese even broke into a smile as the four-year-old Hedley mare stormed clear to win by halfa-length from Funky Music (trained by Garry Dickson) and former Cleveland Bay winner Grey Missile (trained by Chillemi).
The win gives the Tolga trainer a ballot exemption into the Cleveland Bay, a golden ticket for a mare who might not have made it based on her rating.
Chillemi was almost adamant he would take up the opportunity after being blown away by her performance.
“She is entitled to have a go at it on that run,” Chillemi said.
“It was a good run. She should not have won today, there was no way she should have won.
“Forget the company, she was held up for half the straight, didn’t get out until late and flashed home. She had no favours at all today and still beat them comfortably.
“She has been doing everything good and wanting to win, the better the company she is in, the better she goes.
“I wouldn’t have put her in this race if I didn’t think she was up to it.
“She will come down to the minimum in the Cleveland Bay, she draws a barrier and will take up a position and will give it a good crack.
“Grey Missile knocked up a little bit today, he is a bit older and has taken a few runs to get fitter.
“She is younger. Is she as good as Grey Missile on her day? It seems that way.”
Chillemi said he would likely hand the reins to Kliese if Willygood runs in the Cleveland after the bold decision to get the mare into the open air rather than hold on the rails and hope for a gap to open.
“Graham did nothing wrong, he just couldn’t get the run up the straight,” he said.
“There was no gap and he had to hold up and hold up and angle out and angle out.
“I would say he had a good idea of her pace, he is not a mug.”
While he overran it early and struggled to maintain it with the younger runners, Chillemi’s striking six-yearold Grey Missile will also line up in the Cleveland Bay, which will run on TAB Townsville Cup Day on Saturday, August 7.