BRIGHTON trainer Nathan Ford celebrated back-to-back wins in the Big Park Stud Sweepstakes series when his well bred two-year-old Delightful Filly scored a narrow but impressive victory in the fillies division at Tattersall’s Park in Hobart on Sunday night.
Delightful Filly had to re-qualify for mobile starts just to make her way into the final field owing to her unruly manners in a heat of the Sweepstakes.
Ford made some crucial gear changes in an attempt to overcome the filly’s tendency to break in running and he had to take her to Carrick last week for a qualifying trial after which stewards passed her clear to contest the Sweepstakes final.
With her trainer and regular driver still sidelined through injury, David Medhurst took the sit and he was able to rate the filly perfectly.
Delightful Filly used her brilliant gate speed to lead and once in front Medhurst ensured a steady pace but for the last lap he had the odds-on favourite Carly Seelster at his wheel and poised to pounce.
But when the favourite applied the pressure about 500 metres out Delightful Filly answered the challenge and in the home straight she toughed it out to score by a half-head from Carly Seelster with Really Fay Fay a distant third.
Ford was thrilled with the win and heaped praise on Medhurst and his cousin reinsman Dylan Ford who have been doing most of the work with the horses while he has been recuperating from surgery as a result of a nasty fall at Devonport last month.
Nathan Ford prepared Punt Road Disco to win last year’s colts and geldings Sweepstakes final in what was his first season as an A-grade trainer.
Listen to what trainer Nathan Ford had to say about Delightful Lilly’s Sweepstakes win – click here.