Lillie’s promising filly Dubenenko to do the talking in Oaklands Plate
After talented two-year-old Dubenenko won in Adelaide in February, the filly’s owner Tim Lillie became the unwanted centre of attention.
However, tomorrow, the Adelaide businessman hopes the Chris Bieg-trained daughter of Russian Revolution (Snitzel), an impressive first-up winner at Murray Bridge earlier this month, will be the one people are talking about after the Oaklands Plate (Listed, 1400m) is run at Morphettville, the scene of the owner’s notoriety.
Lillie was escorted out of the Adelaide racecourse’s mounting yard on February 4 by security shortly after Dubenenko had won because he did not have his owners’ pass with him.
The incident garnered media attention in South Australia, putting a public face to the Brentknoll Thoroughbreds principal and Verseng Group managing director, whose interest in racing, he said, helps him deal with the pressure of running an international business.
“When I had my five minutes of fame for getting kicked out of Morphettville, that caused me nothing but grief with the defence people because they like to fly under the radar,” engineer Lillie told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“I do a fair bit of travelling and one of my biggest customers is the US military, so I am always over there in the States. Running a business is stressful, so the horses are a very good avenue to calm your nerves down sometimes.
“When you’re employing so many people, with all the pressure that brings, you can go and talk to a horse and they don’t answer back or talk crap.”
Dubenenko finished sixth, two and a quarter lengths behind Little Brose (Per Incanto), in the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) second-up last campaign before being brought down in the ugly fall involving Jamie Kah and the filly’s jockey Craig Williams in the VRC Sires Produce Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) in March.
Dubenenko, who was bred by Willow Park Stud, showed no ill effects from that fall, unleashing a brilliant closing sectional to score first-up and the Oaklands Plate event will dictate whether loftier goals are in store.
The Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) is on the cards if the $100,000 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale graduate can live up to expectations this weekend.
Lillie believed Dubenenko to be capable of victory, after drawing barrier one in a field of six (Fang It has been scratched) with jockey Teagan Voorham retaining the ride on the filly.
“We do believe she’s the real deal and that she will go places. This weekend, of course, we’re aiming for the win but it is also more to see how, why and what she does,” he said.
This weekend will be a good test. We think we can push her out to 1600 metres and she seems to be pretty adaptable. She is definitely showing enough ability.
“I think she is one of these horses who wants to keep your heart in your mouth kind of thing. She sits back and then pounces at the end. She seems to enjoy doing that.”
Lillie’s racing portfolio, comprising mostly fillies, is spread across the Bieg, Phillip Stokes, Richard and Chantelle Jolly and Dan Bowman stables.
He recently sold the Bieg-trained dual Listed-winning mare Diamonds (Rich Enuff) for $560,000 through Magic Millions Online in June to Belmont Bloodstock’s Damon Gabbedy and his reasoning for buying fillies is the residual value they bring.
“At the end of the day, I normally go on type, what they look like and how they carry themselves,” Lillie said.
“I am a firm believer that just because your mum’s Dawn Fraser, it doesn’t mean you can swim. That is probably craziness, but it is why I normally just buy fillies because you can chase black type and put some pedigree back into them.”
Life experience has also taught Lillie to play the percentages rather than trying to hit the jackpot by racing colts who could become multi-million dollar stallion prospects.
“I have been playing the same Lotto numbers since I was 17 and the most I have ever won is $700,” he said.
“I am 50 now, so the likelihood of me buying a colt who is going to be a stallion is (as good as) zero, so that is why I buy the fillies and hopefully pick the right black type races and make some money that way.”
One of those fillies is an unnamed rising two-year-old daughter of Darley shuttler Too Darn Hot (Dubawi), a $130,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase who is also the half-sister to Dubenenko, being the fourth foal out of the Brisbane winner Happy Event (Dream Ahead).
The owner said: “She seems to be ticking all the right boxes as well. She is a completely different make up to her half-sister. She was a bigger yearling, but definitely athletic and there is a bit of spunk in her.”
Lillie also has high hopes for Trapeze Artist (Snitzel) filly Stupendous, a $90,000 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale purchase who contested the David Coles Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at her only start this season.
“I have to admit, there’s still a few two-year-olds who haven’t hit the track yet,” he said.
“There’s some nice types and there’s one called Stupendous who, once she gets her head straight, we know that she is quick.”