 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 2002
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
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| OK Ulisee and Andrew Suddaby |
Brent Lilley's year just keeps getting better. Just eight months ago he landed the biggest achievement of his training career when Game Bid took out the Inter-Dominion Trotters' Grand Final at Sydney.
Earlier this week Lilley was back to chase big-race glory again, this time with OK Ulisee in the $25,000 Firestone Direct Junior Free-For-All at Addington. Even more less-fancied against his opposition than Game Bid was back in March, OK Ulisee mirrored the effort of his former stablemate and beat them fair and square.
Masterfully driven by Lilley's new right-hand-man Andrew Suddaby, OK Ulisee was held back out of the gate instead of being asked to use the explosive speed he possesses, the plan having been chosen by Lilley and Suddaby in pre-race discussions leading up to Cup Day. "Andrew and I sat down and talked about how the race would unfold, and we thought that Ants (Anthony Butt) was more than likely going to try and hold the lead inside us on Lavros Harrier. There was no use trying to take him on early," Lilley reflected. "So we were better settling on the outside." The plan worked a treat, and after getting an economical trip OK Ulisee had plenty of gas to punch away from his opposition when it counted.
The occasion marked the launch of Lilley's new colours, those being the black and yellow silks of Tranz Rail, who are the 26-year-old's new sponsor. "Having a sponsor is something a bit different, because not a lot of people have got that sort of thing yet," Lilley continued. "It came about from a mate of mine, Scott Sutton, who used to work for Dad as a stablehand about ten years ago. Soon after that he got a job with Tranz Rail, based in Christchurch, and has worked his way up to Account Manager now. It's really great that we could win the first time the colours were worn." OK Ulisee is one of the first horses raced by 66-year-old Bill Smith, a taxi driver for the Christchurch company First Direct and former next door neighbour of Lilley's before he re-established himself in Leithfield six months ago.
Freshened since a fast-closing second to Mister D G a month ago, OK Ulisee had an outing at last week's Cup Trials and finished last in a field of four behind Niobium; Lilley was rapt in the run. "It always takes one to bring him right," he said of the 6-year-old OK Bye gelding. "I put him in the trail knowing he would need it, and hoped he would go about 3:20. They went 3:14, so he just blew out. But I knew he would be firing on all cylinders today."
OK Ulisee put himself amongst some pretty elite company with his victory in the Junior Free-For-All, with past winners including the likes of Young Rufus, Iraklis and Yulestar to name a few. While conceding that he is probably not one of them, Lilley isn't afraid to set his sights a little higher still. "Next year's Inter-Dominions have been the big plan with him all along; I know his owner has turned down some pretty good money for him," he said. "A series like that should really suit him, because they race a week apart and he can back up. He raced three times in ten days at the Cup Meeting last year, recording a win and two seconds. He has got gate speed too, which is very important in a series like that.
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 14Nov02