A rare harness racing talent will go under the hammer to help find a cure for “the worst disease you’ve never heard of”.
Tough Tilly, the half-sister to brilliant Victorian two-year-old of the year Centenario, will be auctioned at Saturday’s night EB Foundation Cotton Ball, a Benstud Standardbreds initiative to help take the fight to debilitating skin condition epidermolysis bullosa.
With bidding open to all, the 25 per cent share in the filly out of Beninjurd by Captain Treacherous will feature as part of the night’s auction items, raising money for a cause dear to the heart of Benstud Standardbreds co-owner Craig Judd.
Mr Judd’s daughter Kendal suffers from the condition and he said offering the quality filly was “our way of supporting the foundation”.
“They have only one paid employee and 100 per cent of the money goes to helping the foundation find a cure,” he said.
The winning bid not only buys a quarter share in Tough Tilly but covers all future racing costs, including training costs with Victoria’s reigning four-time trainer of the year Emma Stewart. The remaining 75 per cent will be retained by Benstud, further reinforcing the breeder’s confidence in their prodigy.
“She’s the first horse we’ve actually kept to race for two years,” Mr Judd said.
“In the past two years we’ve probably sold about 40 Benstud born and bred horses, but she’s the only one we will keep. If she had have gone to sales, if she wasn’t a sale’s topper I’d be staggered.”
Bids can be placed at the Cotton Ball on Saturday night or by contacting Craig Judd on 0458 658 273 or email craig.judd@bigpond.com by 5pm on Friday.
For more details about the foundation go to ebresearchfoundation.org
Michael Howard