The Kylie Kennedy-trained Lipstick Lil will have plenty of admirers at Warren on Tuesday, with the six-year-old mare most recently contesting back-to-back Highway Handicaps at Rosehill Gardens in mid-June and Randwick earlier this month.
She wasn’t disgraced either, beaten under five lengths on both occasions, and returns to the country with the Narromine galloper taking on the Quigley Farms/Western Rivers Vet Group Country Boosted 1400m Benchmark 58 Handicap.
When asked why connections weren’t going back to town with Lipstick Lil, Kennedy explained that she didn’t want to see her mare go off the boil.
“She probably overraced that little bit the other day at (Royal Randwick), and she was three weeks between runs, and we left her on the fresh side,” Kennedy said.
“We stayed at Warwick Farm, and you would have thought she lived there her whole life, and she is a good traveller and a gem to take anywhere.
“Even Jenny Duggan said, ‘Don’t hesitate to bring her back’, but we couldn’t keep doing that, as we didn’t want her to go dour, so we thought we’d try and pick up some prizemoney in the country.”
Formerly trained by Brett Robb and then Lauren Davies, Lipstick Lil ended up with Kennedy, and before going to town, she had raced well at Dubbo.
Following a first-up seventh over 1100m, she came out and ran third to Impact Star in the 1200m Benchmark 66 Handicap on June 2 before an excellent second to Starlink in the 1300m fillies and mares heat of the Winter Country Classic on June 9.
Kennedy said she was still getting acquainted with the talented but enigmatic mare.
“We are still learning a bit about her; we’ve only had her this prep,” Kennedy said.
“She is a pretty good doer, but we’re still working out if we need to do more or less with her, and it’s just about finding the right races.
“She has to carry a lot of weight in the (Benchmark) 58s, and there are no other races for her and not too many Class Three (Handicaps) about.”
Stanley rode her in all three races at Dubbo, and Kennedy was happy to have the two-kilogram claimer back on board, as he knew what to expect of her.
“We’ll just see how she jumps and where she ends up, but Will has ridden her a couple of times, and he knows her now,” Kennedy said.
“He is a top kid and has been riding her well.”
On paper, gate 15 doesn’t look great for Lipstick Lil, but the experienced trainer believes the wide draw is a blessing in disguise.
“I don’t think that will worry her,” Kennedy said.
“She is a bit of a barrier rat, so the later she goes in, the better.”
While Lipstick Lil (currently $4.40); will start favourite, or at the very least, well in the market, it won’t be an easy race when coming up against Picnic Champion Series and 11-time winner Hemsted ($5.50), 10-time winner and country racing stalwart Petain ($11), and another up-and-coming Central Districts horse in Demeurer ($6.50).
“Those hood horses have won seven or eight races and even more, and Hemsted is no slouch,” Kennedy said.
“She will still have to race at her best to win because she’s up against Open Company horses, so we’ll need her to put her best foot forward.”
Still, Kennedy thinks she is the class horse of the race, assuming she puts it all together on the day and wants to be there.
“I think she can win as long as she doesn’t show any signs of going dour after the trip to Sydney,” Kennedy said.
“She’s backing up after nine days, and as long as that hasn’t knocked her about, she’ll be a good chance.”
It will be a good day at Warren on Tuesday for their annual Cattleman’s Cup seven-race program.
Gates open at noon, racing commences at 12.35 pm, and there’s no doubt that all eyes will be on NSW’s Randwick of the West.
For fields, click here.
Warren Tips 18/7/2023
Race One: 3 Timmy
Race Two: 9 Distant
Race Three: 3 Wandering Jack
Race Four: 10 Suva May
Race Five: 2 Fanz
Race Six: 8 Laffing Waters
Race Seven: 2 Lipstick Lil
