Lilley takes the Oaks with Queen Kizen
Victorian-trainer Brent Lilley added another classic to his resume when Queen Kizen won the Listed 2025 Ladbrokes South Australian Trotters Oaks (2230m) at Globe Derby Park on Monday.
A New Zealander, Lilley, 49, has made a habit of winning feature races since basing himself at Bolinda in Victoria and has trained 38 Group 1 winners.
The SA Trotters Oaks, for three-year-old fillies, was run from 2007 to 2011 before being dropped then returned in 2023 when won by Bullion Girl for trainer-driver Shaun Adams. It was not run in 2024.
On Monday, Queen Kizen, which has been campaigning in South Australia for Lilley, proved too strong for another Victorian, Sassy Galleon, trained and driven by Chris Lang jnr.
It was a masterful drive by leading driver Ryan Hryhorec who “stole” the classic.
Hryhorec had the filly away brilliantly from gate five and after a short tussle, found the front and then dictated the tempo of the race.
He was able to record pedestrian quarters of 33.1 and 33.5 seconds for the first half of the last 1600 metres before sprinting home in 30.8 and 30.7 seconds.
As a result, Queen Kizen ($2.10) held on to win by a metre from Sassy Galleon ($2 fav) with Feel The Moment ($15), four metres away third.
“Once I led and knew the favourite was on my back, I was always going to try and make it a sprint up the home straight,” Hryhorec said.
“With the small field of six I felt there would be no early attackers and I was able to get away with a comfortable lead.
“My filly was good enough to outsprint her rivals over the final stages.”
Chris Lang said he was pleased with the run of Sassy Galleon.
“The straight wasn’t long enough,” Lang joked.
“I didn’t mind handing up the early lead as there was a strong head wind and I felt it better to take a trail.
“Unfortunately, another runner came up and put me in a pocket, and I had to wait to the sprint lane to sprint up, and the winner was just too good.”
There is a chance Queen Kizen and Sassy Galleon could clash again this Saturday night in the $9999 3YO Trotters Of The Future (2230m) at Globe Derby Park, and again in the Listed $12.500 South Australian Trotters Derby (2230m) at the same track on November 22.
Lilley had a Globe Derby Park double on Monday with Prohibited Bid landing some big bets in winning the Bianco Reinforcing Trotters Mobile (2230m).
Prohibited Bid was backed in from $2.20 to $1.75 favourite and finished strongly for reinsman Wayne Hill.
Driver Corey Johnson allowed Majestic Sunday ($7.50) to bowl along in front with the favourite settling third.
Hill came out with a lap to travel, moved to second down the back straight before sprinting home to score a 12-metre win.
There is a chance Prohibited Bid, a four-year-old mare, may stay in SA and be transferred to the stables of Ella Brechin.
Another Victorian trainer, Naomi Kerr is closing on 200 training winners and had a Globe Derby Park victor in Prioritise which was backed from $4 into $1.65 favourite.
Beginning from gate four, Prioritise had to be driven hard by Ryan Backhouse to find the front in the Jojubi Saddlery Pace (2230m) then had a comfortable lead.
The four-year-old raced away to win by nine metres from My Ultimate Flynn ($21) with Franco Landy ($11), a long neck away third.
Kerr, who has been travelling regularly to Adelaide from her stables at Birdwoodton near Mildura, said she was almost certain to be back on Saturday.
Tough pacer Major Mad ($4.40), got off the canvas, to win the Ladbrokes Bet Ticker Pace (2230m).
Driven by Ryan Hryhorec, who brought up a double, Major Mad, trained at Hillier by Trevor Kittel, was clearly headed by Butter Cup ($2.90 fav) but came again to win by two metres.
- Story: Graham Fischer
- Photo: Walter Bulyga