Ilikeitlikethat booked her place in the upcoming Diamond Classic Final…
with an impressive all-the-way victory in her qualifying Harness Racing heat at Gloucester Park on Monday.
Driven by leading Harness Racing driver Deni Roberts, the promising Art Major filly showed early speed to secure the lead and control the pace throughout the 2130-metre mobile.
She was never seriously challenged, drawing away in the straight to score by 8.9 metres, rating 1:57.8 and sprinting home in 56.6 seconds, including a sharp 28.2-second final quarter.
The performance gave the two-year-old her second win from just five starts and her first success at Gloucester Park, while stamping her credentials as a genuine Diamond Classic contender.
Prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, Ilikeitlikethat also continues an outstanding record for her dam Dodolicious, who has now produced three runners, all winners.
The first was Idealicious, a one-time winner, before The Rizzler emerged to claim five victories. Ilikeitlikethat has now added her name to the list, maintaining Dodolicious’ perfect strike rate as a broodmare.
That record is made all the more remarkable given Dodolicious has missed to conceive on three occasions after attempts to champion sires Art Major, American Ideal and Always B Miki. Despite those setbacks, every foal she has produced to race has made it to the winner’s circle.
Owned and bred exclusively by Skye Bond, Ilikeitlikethat is another chapter in the story of a mare that enjoyed a stellar racing career in Western Australia. Dodolicious amassed more than $500,000 in prizemoney, including victory in the 2016 $100,000 Westbred Pace for three-year-olds, and a Gr.1 win in the WA Oaks of the same year, before retiring to the broodmare paddock in 2018.
Monday’s performance suggested her latest daughter may yet add further black-type success to the family.
After controlling the race in front, Roberts barely had to ask Ilikeitlikethat for her maximum effort as she cruised clear to qualify for the final in convincing fashion.
With natural gate speed, the ability to sustain a genuine tempo and the pedigree to continue improving, Ilikeitlikethat shapes as one of the leading hopes when the Diamond Classic Final is decided.