Grand Prix Stakes outsider Chillin With Dylan is out to defy his long odds when he lines up against the other colts and geldings in the Group 3 feature at Doomben on Saturday.
Rough Habit Stakes winner Sadler’s Lake will start the favourite in the Grand Prix Stakes at Doomben. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Chillin With Dylan is marked as a $61 chance in the Group 3 $150,000 Mullins Lawyers Grand Prix Stakes (2020m) and Beaudesert trainer Ben Aherns is expecting the consistent galloper to perfume well again.
The Dylan Thomas colt has been getting plenty of special attention from Aherns who is trying to mend his bad racing manners and he thinks he is finally seeing some results.
Chillin With Dylan ran a mighty race when third to Worthy Cause in the Group 3 $125,000 Surfers Paradise RSL Gunsynd Classic (1600m) at the Gold Coast on April 25 after jockey Ryan Wiggins reported that he had a tendency to hang in for the majority of the race.
He then went around in the Group 3 $125,000 Mitty’s Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben on May 9 which resulted in a fourth to Sadler’s Lake after he pulled hard during the race and was then held up for a run on the home turn.
Aherns has now added ear muffs to the colt in an attempt to get him to relax more in his races and is hoping they will do the trick on the weekend and further down the track in the Group 1 $600,000 Channel 7 Queensland Derby (2200m) at Doomben in a fortnight.
“We worked on him and got him to stop wanting to hang. But he still wanted to over-race a little in the Rough Habit Plate and that left him flat in the final 200m,” Ahrens told AAP.
“To run fourth was still a very good effort. We have put ear muffs on him this week and hopefully that will stop him wanting to over-race.”
“If we can stop him wanting to over-race I think the Derby will suit him down to the ground.”
“He has really pleased me this week and he won’t be wanting on the score of fitness.”
Chillin With Dylan has only won one race from thirteen starts but has filled the placings on nine other occasions with his third in the Gunsynd Classic his best result.
The Chris Waller trained Saddler’s Lake heads the market order for the Grand Prix Stakes at $3.40 at Ladbrokes.com.au and is the clear favourite ahead of Worthy Cause at $6.50, Master Of Arts at $7.50 and Jumbo Prince, Quick Strike ad Bachman at $9.
Grand Prix Stakes market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.40 Sadler’s Lake, $6.50 Worthy Cause, $7.50 Master Of Arts, $9 Jumbo Prince, Bachman, Quick Strike, $12 Inauguration, $13 Upham, $14 Redoutable Heart, $21 Harry, $26 Rhodin Drive, $51 Lord Disick, $61 Lucoblu, Chillin With Dylan, $101 Reckless Abandon, Freezelighting, Sam De Hero.
