Special filly Illyivy comes at the right time with trainer Ray Besanko ready to hand over reins to daughter Kasey

Trainer Ray Besanka is ready to hand the family business over to his daughter Kasey after 52 years, as they look forward to promising filly Illyivy stepping out at Caulfield on Saturday.

Veteran horseman Ray Besanko cannot wait for daughter and aspiring trainer Kasey to be officially recognised for her work in the family business, especially the special Illyivy.

Kasey Besanko bred and weaned the Sandown maiden winner Illyivy, named after grandmother Ivy Lily.

“Anything (Illyivy) has done I give her (Kasey) all the credit,” Besanko said.

“If she had her licence, which hopefully she’ll get soon, Illyivy could be in her name.”

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Besanko, 72, has dedicated more than 50 years to the craft.

He tried unsuccessful to steer Kasey away from the family discipline but is now looking forward to eventually handing over the keys.

“We’re only small, we do 10 or 12 horses now, we don’t do any more than that,” Besanko said.

“It will be up to her if she wants to get bigger, I’m 72 now … I’m at the other end of it.

“I’m more or less finished, but she does a good job. She gets up and does most of the work.”

Besanko has retained “boss” status – for now.

Trainer Ray Besanko with daughter Kasey at Caulfield in 2022. Picture: Racing Photos

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“We work out things together,” Besanko laughed.

“I didn’t want either of my kids to do it, to tell you the truth, because it’s too hard a caper.

“My son went the right way, he’s a builder … Kasey always showed horses and ridden horses, she came to me one day and I said, ‘I want to do this’.

“I said ‘I don’t really want you to’ and she said ‘I’ll go and work for somebody else’.

“Hopefully in the new season she’ll have her licence and 90 per cent of these horses will be in her name.

“I’ll still help her, but I want to take a bit of a backward step … I’ve been doing this for 52 years.”

Celine Gaudray steers Illyivy to a win at Sandown last month. Picture: Racing Photos

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Illyivy is $9 in a 1200m 3YO Fillies Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday.

The Flying Artie filly has not missed a place in all four starts to date and launched late for a deserved 1200m Sandown maiden victory most recently.

“Blake Shinn has ridden her in trials and given us big raps about her … so far she’s living up to that, hopefully she can go up to another level or two,” Besanko said.

“If she’s as good as what we think she is, she’s going to be hard to beat but she’s got to go there and do that Saturday.

“We think she’s pretty special, so we’ll find out … it’s not a bad race, there’s other horses with a lot of form in that, we’ll definitely find out.

“On what she did the other day and how she won, look, I’d prefer 1400m but there wasn’t any 1400s coming up. She’s fit, she’s well and Kasey has got her looking enormous.”

Originally published as Special filly Illyivy comes at the right time with trainer Ray Besanko ready to hand over reins to daughter Kasey