Horse Racing

Star filly Crystal Lily claimed the most important and impressive victory of her short career on Saturday when she took out the world’s richest race for two-year-olds, the $3.5million Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill racecourse.

The Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained Crystal Lily ($6), ridden skilfully by Hong Kong-based jockey Brett Prebble, speared out wide on the home straight with many believing she’d thrown out her chances of success.

But as many of the others failed to find space to break through, Crystal Lily charged home on the outside to defeat Decision Time ($26) by just half a length with the Gai Waterhouse-trained More Strawberries ($12) a further length away in third.

Previously unbeaten filly Military Rose ($3.50 F), who had dominated the betting markets for the 2010 Golden Slipper, got caught up on the straight and unable to find a clear run finished a devastating 11^th just one horse ahead of Gai Waterhouse’s highly fancied Brightexpectations ($8.50) in 12^th.

The victory was made even sweeter by the fact that Crystal Lily’s owner David Moodie had paid the costly $150,000 late entry fee to have her run in Saturday’s race, as had the connections of runner-up Decision Time. Only two other late entry runners have previously won the Golden Slipper, Pago Pago in 1963 and Calaway Gal in 2002.

A daughter of Stratum out of Crystal Snip, Crystal Lily now has four career wins from seven starts to her name and Saturday’s incredible $2million prize elevated her total earnings to an unbelievable $2,289,250.

After a brilliant autumn campaign that also included wins in the Sweet Embrace Stakes and Chairman’s Handicap, Crystal Lily will now be spelled until the spring.

Other Slipper runners including runner-up Decision Time and third placegetter More Strawberries will attempt to win a Group 1 victory as a juvenile by competing in the final two legs of the prestigious Triple Crown for two-year-olds, the AJC Sires Produce Stakes and the Champagne Stakes.

The other major highlight at the Easter Saturday meeting was Littorio’s 2010 The BMW Victory.

2010 AAMI Golden Slipper Results: