Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Lion Queen, the $1.50 favourite, overcame serious difficulties to score a dramatic nose victory in the $21,000 You’ve Got The Touch With TABtouch Pace for three-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Driven by Shannon Suvaljko, Lion Queen worked hard to get to the lead after 500m before dictating terms in front and then being overhauled by $15 chance Soho Honey Rider 300m from home.
Soho Honey Rider got to a good half-length lead (out three wide) over Lion Queen at the 300m and appeared a certain winner. However, Suvaljko, who was having trouble in controlling Lion Queen, was able to get the filly to pace more tractably in the home straight, and she fought back on the inside to regain the lead in the final few strides to beat Soho Honey Rider by a nose, rating a smart 1.54.9 over 1730m.
“Once Deni (Roberts) handed up with Irresistible (500m after the start), I was able to control it in front, but Lion Queen was running up a little bit,” explained Suvaljko. “When they came quick at her down the back all Lion Queen wanted to do was to veer up the track, and I was on one rein.
“All the way around the (home) corner all she wanted was to run up the track, and I couldn’t drive her while Mitchell (Miller) had more momentum out wide with Soho Honey Rider.
“Lion Queen usually runs down, but tonight she was running up, and I had to wait until she got on to her right leg, and I was able to drive her over the final 20 to 30 metres.”
Lion Queen, trained by Mike Reed, is by American sire Control The Moment and is the eighth foal out of American mare Lilianna Beauty, who raced 134 times for ten wins, 41 placings and $135,274 in stakes.
Lilianna Beauty’s fourth foal Tenniele Erin earned $88,180 from five wins and seven placings from 14 starts before being retired. Her two wins from seven WA starts included the Group 1 Sales Classic for two-year-old fillies in April 2017 before she continued her career in Victoria where her seven starts produced three wins and three placings.
Lion Queen, who was purchased for $47,500 at the 2022 Perth APG yearling sale, has earned $58,135 from her five wins from nine starts.