Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Gloucester Park Harness Racing committeeman Rob Gartrell has won hundreds of races with horses he has owned or raced in partnerships, and now he is enjoying great successes with the first pacer he has bred, the tough five-year-old mare Rattlin Lilly.
Rattlin Lilly, prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, was a $9.90 chance who caused an upset by winning the $30,000 WASBA Pace for four and five-year-old mares over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Rattlin Lilly, a daughter of Always B Miki and driven by Deni Roberts, began from the outside barrier in the field of eight, and was suited when not involved in the early speed battle when the lead time whizzed by in a sizzling 35sec.
Polemarker Sister Cherie ($6.50) set the early pace from $12 chance Little Darling in the breeze, while Roberts was happy to settle Rattlin Lilly sixth position before gaining a perfect trail, in the one-out, one-back position, after a lap.
Penny Black, the $1.34 favourite from out wide at barrier seven and attempting to remain unbeaten at her first seven starts in Western Australia, raced three wide for the first 550m and then in the breeze before taking the lead after a lap.
Roberts started a three-wide move with Rattlin Lilly 600m from home, and the mare got on terms with Penny Black on the home turn before taking a narrow lead 70m from the post and going on to beat the favourite by a head, rating 1.55.9.
“Rattlin Lilly was battling to go with them in the early stages, but she then got a lovely trip,” said Roberts. “She is a dead-set stayer and is definitely up to Free-For-All mares company.”
Gartrell bred Rattlin Lilly from the New Zealand-bred mare Baileys Gold, a pacer he raced in partnership with his father Kevin, brother John, Greg and Skye Bond, Andrew Foster and Craig Hampson.
Baileys Gold did all her racing in Western Australia and was retired as a five-year-old after a Gloucester Park win on February 28, 2017, with a record of 67 starts for seven wins, 11 placings and stakes of $70,475.
“I have now bred seven pacers, including Rattlin Lilly’s full-sister Lady Camel, who has had two starts for one win, at Bunbury in March,” said Gartrell.