Hills’ impressive debut

The well-named two-year-old filly Hills is going to have to race for three weeks in a row if she is to win the Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic at the Gold Coast.

Hills, trained by Tony McEvoy, made an impressive debut at Ipswich on Friday, December 28.

The filly was a little tardy at the start but finished too well to win the Carlton Mid Two-Year-Old Handicap over 1050m.

Backed from $2.70 into $1.95 favourite, Hills, ridden by Mark DuPlessis, came wide in the home straight to score a three-quarter length win from Chill The Beer ($5.50) with Champagne Jet ($2.70), 2-1/4 lengths away third.

Hills is out of a mare called Hoist, and many ‘Baby Boomers’ will talk of growing up with a Hills Hoist clothesline in the backyard.

The filly is a $310,00 buy by Not A Single Doubt and her dam Hoist is closely related to champion stayer Might and Power.

She picked up $11,000 with the Ipswich win but would need to win or run second in Saturday week’s $100,000 Clan O’Sullivan Handicap at the Gold Coast to make the Classic field.

“At this stage she will run at the Gold Coast and if she runs well on to the Millions Classic,” McEvoy said.

“But it is up to her. If she tells me she has had enough, I will obviously scrap those plans. But if you buy Millions of horses obviously you have to give them every chance to make the field.”

McEvoy said he had got behind with Hills after she missed the start in an Eagle Farm barrier trial.

“She is up here, and I like her. She didn’t get it totally right today, but she is getting there,” he said