That’s why he’s warning bettors that Jilliby Ballerini isn’t a good thing, even as the surprise $2.80 favorite in today’s $400,000 Renwick Farms Dominion at Addington.
Although die-hard harness racing fans may have seen Jilliby Ballerini shine recently in Victoria, more than 90 percent of New Zealand harness racing fans would never have seen her.
Here’s the snapshot: Four-year-old mare trained by the same stable as young champion Keayang Zahara, used to be a bit erratic but now looks calmer. And can run like the wind.
But Jilliby Ballerini has only had one standing start in her career, which she won. Today is her first 3200m race and she has never even been outside Victoria until last week.
“To be honest, I thought she was a bit small,” Lee admits.
“Make no mistake, she is good enough to win, otherwise she wouldn’t come and she is very fast.
“For example, I don’t think Zahara could have parked outside her during the short drive and hit her.
“But she will have to be a quick learner because she will never have seen a front line like on Tuesday and the tough 3200 meter run.
“So I realize this has its challenges.”
If Jilliby Ballerini walks cleanly and can stay dexterous, especially at a moderate pace, her young legs may be too fast for the old boys and she can do something spectacular.
But her $2.80 favoritism is hard to understand.
While she has been paying a lot of attention to Inter Dominion Champion Arcee Phoenix lately, much has been made and done about the latter and his $9 is the best value either way of today’s entire meeting because if he leads he will take a huge lead.
There’s enough to like about Mighty Logan, Rowe Cup winner Bet N Win and Queensland trotter Gus to suggest they could all win without anaesthetic, which leaves us with New Zealand’s two old trotting heroes in Oscar Bonavena and Muscle Mountain.
Both are majestic examples of the trotter when their bodies and minds are in sync, blessed with turbocharged engines but cursed with the dents that come from going too fast for too long.
Today, as the Canterbury sun warms their old muscles, they step away and are put to sleep until their rivals tire. They can do something brilliant in the last 400 metres, so don’t let anyone talk you out of supporting them.
So often the Dominion, our greatest trot, has been won by horse giants who have stomped mercilessly around Addington.
The current Dominion does not have one.
So it could come down to who can handle the pressure, covers the least ground and ultimately needs it the most at the end of the 3200 meters.
For full race entries, click here.
Through Michael Guerinfor Harness Racing New Zealand
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