Tough filly ready for Oaks
Imelda Mary to fight out Filly of the Year contest at Trentham
Wayne Hillis has a fair bit to think about heading into the $400,000 New Zealand Oaks on Saturday. The Matamata trainer could be worried about the weather, which threatens downpours in Wellington and could see Trentham rate anywhere from its current Dead6 to well into the soft range.
Or Hillis could be distracted by the fact his brave filly Imelda Mary coleads the Filly of the Year standings with Oaks favourite Queen Of Diamonds, with Pinmedown not far behind, so the prestigious title will be decided at the same time the Oaks is.
And Hillis could have to think about dear old mum Imelda, who the filly is named after, and who insists on getting on a plane tomorrow to make sure she if there for the Oaks. Luckily, the 83-year-old will come with her own entourage to help her through one of her proudest days in racing.
So with all that going on Hillis is thankful he doesn’t have to worry about one thing: Imelda Mary.
Because he is confident she will just turn up and be the filly she has been all summer, talented and brave in equal measures.
Imelda Mary has been one of the stories of the racing season, the $3500 yearling who started the summer a maiden but has won two group twos and now stands on the cusp of being our champion filly.
While she has raced on seven tracks as far south as Riccarton this season alone, taken on the best fillies and even the boys too in the Karaka Classic, Hillis has no concerns about how his stable star has copped the campaign.
“She is actually thriving on it,” he suggests.
“She isn’t showing any signs of tiredness, I reckon it might be the Pentire in her.”
That comes through her late sire Ferlax, who Haunui Farm sadly lost before Imelda Mary even started racing. He was a son of Pentire and Hillis thinks that stout staying blood has helped Imelda Mary bounce through her busy schedule.
While her Filly of the Year rivals Queen Of Diamonds and Pinmedown have the last-start winning form, Imelda Mary has the barrier draw advantage with gate four whereas the other pair are both drawn very wide.
But that could all change if the forecast rains come.
“Rain would change every thing,” admits Hillis.
“I don’t mind it dead or soft but we probably don’t want it heavy, but I don’t think it will get that bad.
“If the track holds up then we have the draw and the jockey (Cameron Lammas) to stay handy and then it will be up to her. I’ve never won an Oaks and you don’t get too many who can even run the 2400m out but that isn’t a worry for this filly.
“I know all about the Filly of the Year points table and I’d love to win it but really the Oaks will decide that so we will concentrate on our filly and this race and the title will take care of itself.”
Safely through Saturday, Imelda Mary will head to Sydney for the ATC Oaks and she could be joined by any number of Saturday’s rivals as the Oaks looks set to define the pecking order of a very even crop.
Even after her super consistent summer Imelda Mary is only rated a $7 chance by the TAB for Saturday, with Queen Of Diamonds the $4.20 favourite even from what is likely to be barrier 17, with the slightly better drawn Pinmedown at $4.60.