Willows Girl proves her worth in Nutrien 3YO fillies Heat success

Classy filly Willows Girl (Sweet Lou) appreciated the drop in class with a somewhat narrow but game effort to take out the first heat of the Henderson Hydraulics three year old fillies at Wagga on Friday afternoon.

A winner of the Gold Bracelet Heat and Final at Bathurst and Heat of the New South Wales Oaks before finishing seventh in the Final, Willows Girl was installed a warm favourite despite drawing the outside of the front row.

Showing scintillating early speed Willows Girl was taken to the front by Cameron Hart and from then on it always looked as if she would be the one to beat.

WILLOWS GIRL 22 MAY REPLAY

Menangle based filly Devious Minds who scored at Penrith three starts back sat back for the trail while Eye Wish who had some support settled back in sixth as the field went into Indian file. Nathan Jack started to make a run to gradually move up alongside Willows Girl going into the back straight but even then the favourite was travelling easily as she breezed through the second quarter in 30.7 seconds.

However she didn’t have it all her own way as Eye Wish continued to persist out wide while Devious Minds took an inside run. Although she had to be driven out, Willows Girl fought back sufficiently to hold off Eye Wish by a neck with Devious Minds close up third. The placegetters finished well ahead of the others.

Willows Girl is trained by Emma Stewart who had finished second in the two year old heats with Brooklyn Jem and Kahula.

Another Victorian filly Go Easy On Me (Bettors Delight) scored a decisive win in the other heat the Ironbark Training division. Confidently supported, Go Easy On Me was back in the field but driver Amanda Turnbull moved around the field to race alongside the leader Fiction File who had an easy run in front. Rachels Legacy who was well supported to beat the favourite settled in behind the leader.

GO EASY ON ME 22 MAY REPLAY

The field crawled with 30.5 and 30.6 seconds for the first two quarters. But the tempo notably changed in the final lap and Fiction File was put under pressure by Go Easy On Me who moved to the lead on turning for home. However she wobbled off the track almost three wide and Rachel’s Legacy started to make up ground along her inside in the home straight.

But showing a touch of class Go Easy On Me fought back to record an impressive win over Rachel’s Legacy with Krusty Krunch coming home for third. The winner rated 1.57.4 which was slower than Willows Girl who ran 1.56.7 but Go On Easy Me recorded final quarters of 27.3 and 26.9 seconds to stamp her credentials.

Go Easy On Me is trained by Courtney Laker at Kialla near Shepparton and has had just 13 starts for four wins and she continues to improve.

The $100,000 Final is scheduled at Wagga on Saturday 30 May and at this stage Willows Girl is likely to start a warm favourite ahead of Go Easy On Me and Eye Wish but it will be a keenly contested event.

For complete race results, click here.

By Tony Milanese for Harnesslink