Pint sized filly Scillato kept her winning record intact when facing her biggest test to date at Flemington on Saturday. Lining up against some well credentialed fillies in the “Good Friday Appeal Plate” over 1100m, her will to win was evident when she dug deep to ward off the challengers over the final 100m to score by a narrow margin in a thrilling finish. Filling the minor placings were the Yulong fillies, Rich Dottie and Clean Energy with both fillies previously contesting Black Type races.
Still learning her trade, jockey Cory Parish did an excellent job to restrain the filly to have cover in the middle of the pack for her first attempt down the Flemington straight. Wanting to over race slightly she was held together until presented with a run and in her customary fashion accelerated quickly to take the lead and hold on for a gutsy win.
“She’s quite an easy horse to train, she doesn’t take a lot of work and today was just the next step after her Maiden and 64 wins when beating the open horses, A stakes race could be on the agenda depending on how she pulls up” said Shannon Hope.
A home bred filly for Alpara Lodge principals Greg and Jenny White, now takes her prizemoney earnings in excess of $123K and for the third time ridden by Cory Parish.
“It’s been good to come back to town and get the results for Lee and Shannon who have been loyal to me for my whole career and again in recent times. She’s still a bit keen in the run and wants to get in that’s why I carried the whip in my left hand. If she had the rail, she would have been fine but we were in no man’s land and its a bit harder. She is improving all the time and is a little professional horse.” said dual Group 1 winning rider, Cory Parish.
