If they handed out awards for toughness and consistency the two-year-old Krupt filly Li'l Kontra would be atop the honour roll after she capped a remarkable season with a fast-finishing triumph in Saturday's Group III National Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville.
The chestnut filly missed the start a length, tailed the field early and had just one runner behind her on the turn. Under a rails-hugging ride by Dwayne Dunn, Li'l Kontra nailed the front-running Absolute Flirt (Stratum) by a neck with Xilong (Deep Field) three-quarters of a length back in third.
Making her ninth start of the campaign, Li'l Kontra advanced her record to 3 wins 4 seconds and 2 thirds from 9 starts with earnings of $267,025.
It was an emotional moment for winning trainer Ryan Balfour.
"This is probably the best feeling I've had on a racetrack," Balfour said.
"We wanted to be up there (in the run) but she started very ordinary and to be honest I thought we were buggered from back there. Even at the 200 metres I thought it would be at best a place, but she is a little star, she's amazing.
"She's incredible, so easy to train. You always get something with a horse, a stone bruise or something, but she is a freak, just a pleasure to train.
"I said to Dwyane just let her be happy in herself and when she stepped away he didn't drive her because if he did she would have got tugging so it was a great ride."
Consigned by Rosden Park to the 2018 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, Li'l Kontra (pictured as a yearling) was purchased by Ryan Balfour/Pinhook Bloodstock for $110,000, which is the second highest price ever paid for a yearling by Krupt.
Bred in partnership by her trainer, Li'l Kontra is raced by a large group of stable supporters who raced her full brother, the 8-time winner and $425,470 earner Cashed and her half-sister 5-time winner and $139,100 earner Embecee Lil (Myboycharlie).
The trio along with the winning Pluck gelding Flash Cash are the first four foals out of the Keltrice nare Li'L Cashy who has obviously passed on her own admirable constitution to her progeny.
In a 35-start career, Li'L Cashy won nine and placed in six while banking $189,060.
Li'L Cashy has a yearling colt by Shamus Award, which made $160,000 to the bid of Anthony G Cavanagh & Co out of the Golden Grove Stud draft at this year's Adelaide Magic Millions, and a weanling colt by the Cox Plate winner.
Li'L Cashy was covered by Toronado (IRE) last spring.
The winner of the Listed Dequetteville Stakes at Morphettville last month, Li'l Kontra is one of two stakes-winners for the Flying Spur stallion Krupt who died in November 2017.
