Ken Casellas | Race Replay
Blythewood trainer Michael Munro’s recent successes with mares continued at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Star Lilly enjoyed an easy time in front and held on to win the 2130m AFL Grand Final On Seven Pace.
Over the past nine weeks his smart mare Candy Apple has recorded three wins and four placings, Paroquet has won, and Star Lilly has notched two wins and a second placing.
After her all-the-way win at Pinjarra eleven days earlier, Star Lilly was the $2 favourite from the prized No. 1 barrier, and she won the start easily and ambled through the lead time in 38sec. and followed with casual opening quarters before lifting the tempo with final 400m sections of 29sec. and 28.6sec.
Star Lilly rated a slow 2.0.9 and beat the $5.50 chance Sheza Sassy Lassy by a half-neck after that mare had settled down at the rear after beginning out wide at barrier seven and then going forward in the first lap to work in the breeze.
Star Lilly, a recent acquisition to the Munro stable, is a WA-bred seven-year-old by American sire Betterthancheddar and is the only foal out of New Zealand-bred mare Awesome Desire. Star Lilly now has earned $56,226.
Awesome Desire is best known as the dam of Saloon Passage, who raced 144 times for 34 wins, 40 placings and $334,982 in prizemoney.