By MICHAEL GUERIN in New Jersey
Lyell Creek picked the worst race in history to have a hard run.
New Zealand's champion trotter was a courageous fourth in the US$500,000 Nat Ray Final at The Meadowlands yesterday won in a world record 1:50.8 by Victory Tilly.
Not only did the winner smash the world race record by 0.4 of a second, he even went faster that Pine Chip's world time-trial mark of 1:51.
And while he was carving out that time Lyell Creek was forced to sit parked outside him for the last 900m.
That gave him no chance of winning, even though he trotted a staggering 1:51.8 in losing third in the last stride. Second was early favourite Fool's Goal and third was Plesac.
While disappointed with the result, trainer Brett Pelling was anything but disappointed with Lyell Creek's performance.
"That is how it goes. When they trot that fast you can't come outside them and win," said Pelling.
"He tried hard but we were in trouble a long way from home.
"Still, you can't take anything away from the winner."
He got that right, with Victory Tilly producing an amazing form turnaround after finishing fourth in the Breeders' Crown last week.
The Swedish superstar blasted out of barrier eight to lead after 500m and then just kept on running for master horseman Stig Johansson.
"He loves being in front and he was a little bit better today than he was last week," said Johansson.
While the performance confirmed Victory Tilly as a true great it also posed the question: How good is Varenne?
The Italian world champion has simply played with Victory Tilly every time they have met in the last 18 months.
In last year's Elitlopp in Sweden, Varenne sat parked outside Victory Tilly and crushed him on his home track.
Even basking in the glory of victory Johansson admitted Varenne casts a cloud over Victory Tilly's future.
"Our horse simply isn't as good as Varenne, we know that. But he was good enough today."
With Victory Tilly now the world record holder it seems certain Varenne, under the right conditions, will become the world's first sub 1:50 trotter.
Lyell Creek's connections will be hoping Varenne doesn't trot that sort of time in the Trot Mondial in Canada next month, when the pair are set to meet for the first time.
* Lyell Creek's principal shareholder, Graham Bruton, attempting to revive his career as a driver, was unplaced in his two drives at the Kurow meeting yesterday.
Racing: Lyell Creek lags as record blitzed
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