Stunning Chariots Of Fire winner Jilliby Kung Fu is pushing on to the Miracle Mile.
While some might be intimidated by the thought of taking on the rampaging Lazarus, Jilliby Kung Fu’s trainer Marg Lee sees it differently.
“It’s a great opportunity, one we may never get again,” she said. “He’s the best horse we’ve had, Jason (Lee, driver) said that a few weeks back, and we might never get another good enough to run in a Miracle Mile.
“Providing he comes through that (Chariots) win well over the next few days, we’ll take him back to Menangle for the Miracle Mile.
“He’s really blossomed as a horse this campaign. He’s so big and strong now. He’s ready for it.”
The clock says Jilliby Kung Fu is up to the challenge as well.
He posted a 1min48.8sec mile leading throughout to win last night’s Chariots Of Fire, capped by closing splits of 53.2 and 26.6sec.
That 1min48.8sec matched the race record set by Have Faith In Me in 2016. He then backed-up to win the Miracle Mile.
Lazarus went 1min49sec winning last year’s Chariots and finished third to Lennytheshark in the Miracle Mile.
Jilliby Kung Fu put the writing on the wall for his Chariots win when he sat parked and so brutally won the Group 1 4YO Bonanza at Melton two weeks ago.
“When he did that, we knew he’d be hard to beat in the Chariots. Horses don’t do what he did in the Bonanza,” Lee said.
“He’s just kept getting better and stronger each season.
“I think back to late in his two-year-old season. We still had the Breeders Crown to come, but Noel Alexander told me he thought the horse looked a bit special and if it was his, he’d miss the Crown.
“We thought about what he said and did that. We gave him a longer break instead and I think it’s helped him develop into the horse he is now.”
Jilliby Kung Fu blasted off the gate from barrier seven to lead in the blink of an eye, but copped constant pressure from classy young stayer Atomic Red through a 55.6sec first half.
All the while, Tim Butt’s classy speedster Let it Ride was getting the gun sit behind the leader.
When Let It Ride saw daylight at the top of the straight, he came at Jilliby Kung Fu quickly, but the Victorian found plenty to win by 1.3m with Atomic Red another 7.3m away in third spot.
Adam Hamilton