Ken Casellas | Photo: Pacepix
Smart four-year-old Dontbesillychilli revealed dazzling speed when she came from last in the field of twelve with 500m to travel to burst to the front 200m later and then career away and win the $30,000 GPHR Lewis Pace for mares at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
She was a $53.70 outsider from the outside (No. 9) barrier and was restrained to the rear by Dylan Egerton-Green, who was content to stay there until the frontrunner and $21 chance Our Star Billing slackened the pace after opening quarters of 29.6sec. and 29.7sec.
The third quarter was run in a modest 31.1sec. when Egerton-Green made his dashing move. The final 400m was covered in 28.9sec. and Dontbesillychilli romped home by four and a half lengths from the $1.80 favourite Acharne Girl, rating 1.56.8 over the 2130m.
Acharne Girl began from the inside of the back line, and she trailed the pacemaker before being hopelessly blocked for a clear run while Dontbesillychilli had established a commanding lead. Eventually, Gary Hall jnr was able to get Acharne Girl into the clear about 200m from home. She then sprinted home brilliantly in a lost cause.
Egerton-Green’s dashing drive was reminiscent of his first drive behind Dontbesillychilli as a two-year-old in a 1730m event at Gloucester Park in August 2021 when she was restrained from barrier seven and was sixth with 400m to travel before she charged home to win from Sall Street Girl at a 1.57.7 rate.
Dontbesillychilli, bred by Bunbury trainer Sarah Wall and her husband Chris, has earned $116,902 from nine wins and 12 placings from 41 starts. She is by American sire Western Terror and is out of the Live Or Die mare Justlikechocolate, who earned $188,937 from 13 wins and 19 placings from 48 starts.
Mrs Wall also trains seven-year-old gelding Alta Rhett, a half-brother to Dontbesillychilli, who finished fourth behind Moonlite Drive earlier in Friday night’s program.