Lily Du Berlais (green, on inner) © Photo Healy Racing
The concluding Coolmore-sponsored Grade 2 mares’ bumper produced the finish of the weekend with the first five home covered by less than a length. Battling Bessie lived up to her name in the straight as, after hitting the front turning in, she gave everything for Derek O’Connor but Ben Crawford, unable to claim his 7lb allowance in this contest, produced 40/1 chance Lily Du Berlais to challenge between rivals inside the final furlong and she got up on the line to score by a nose.
Battling Bessie was second while Liberty Dance under Lisa O’Neill, was another to finish well and she was just a short head further back in third. Ashroe Diamond fared best of Willie Mullins’ sextet in fourth with her stable companion, the 5/4 fav Pink In The Park a close fifth.
The stewards were busy, with the riders of the first three home receiving bans of four, three and two days respectively for infringements of the whip rules.
The winning daughter of Shirocco, bought for 25,000 Euros at the Derby Sale, had won her only previous start at Perth last July and was fitted with a tongue-tie and a hood (both for the first time) for this assignment.
Winning trainer Stuart Crawford: “I thought she was a good mare when I brought her to Perth and Brian Hughes got off her that day and said 'that's as good a horse as I've ridden for you'.
“He rang me this morning and said 'don't forget what I told you back then'. He said 'tell Ben to ride her cold and be as cool as he likes, I don't care how good the race is'.
“She was tough on the day. I was thinking to myself my brother had been getting plenty of instructions from all directions and I said 'you're not doing what you were told there, you are too cool'!
“It worked out and it was great. To get a winner for (owners) Simon (Munir) and Isaac (Souede) and Anthony (Bromley, racing manager) is great. They are big supporters of racing and big supporters of me.
“We'll take it today and make plans after that. She's an extremely exciting mare to be going jumping with and she got the job done there today so we'll enjoy that.”
Quotes from Gary Carson
