Hilly’s Halo impresses with six furlong, 1:10.4 clocking
Oakridge Farms imported three-year-old chestnut filly Hilly’s Halo, returned a different class animal 35 days after winning her first race, to make it win number two with an eye-catching performance in winning over six furlongs (1,200 metres), this time on the Boom Race Day at Caymanas Park Saturday last.
The Kantharof/ Halo Jezabelle filly, following a hesitant start to her career of five starts on local soil, stopped the clock in a quick 1:10.4 compared to 1:13.4 when she broke her maiden over the same distance on May 26.
Another Vigorous, Peking Cruz and Without Exception followed the winner to the line in the Restricted Stakes (imported three-year-old and upward – NW3 and maidens) and (NB three-year-old) for the Boom-A-Rang Trophy by all of 11 ½ lengths.
Trainer of the filly, Gary Subratie, who had high expectations for his charge after her maiden win, was even more encouraged by her last performance but is not anxious to push her at this stage.
“She had some issue at the gates and we have done a lot of work in dealing with these issues, plus she has been improving each time she runs. The first time I really gave her a good five-furlong run she completed the drill in a brisk 59 seconds flat, which of course had me smiling and pondering as to what next. What I would like to do is to give her a little longer run and see what she has to offer, as I realise that she can be rated. She seems to possess a lot of speed, but if you try to use it up too early then she will naturally falter in the end. Basically, I think what we want to do is to stretch her out a little bit longer and see what will happen down the road.”
Where is she headed at present?
“Well if she wins her next race she will be in Overnight and we will go from there. One race at a time is the motto for now and move on from there, because you know what race horses are like,” Subratie said.
Another Vigorous set a very fast pace, but when Hilly’s Halo came a calling he faded away badly in the last furlong and a half.
Peking Cruz and Without Exception were with the thick of things, but that was before Hilly’s Halo decided to show her class.
