Sizzling Bee’s a stunner
NOTHING excites the thoroughbred racing enthusiast more than watching the first two-year-old trials of the season.
The raw energy they emit as they are ridden to the starting stalls is electric, as is the tense atmosphere in the grandstand, where the owners sit holding their breath hoping their steeds can be loaded successfully into the barriers.
The silence waiting for the gates to open is deafening and there’s a sigh of relief when they hit the ground running.
That was the case at the Elwick trials yesterday for the state’s leading owners, Paul and Elizabeth Geard, who had the only four two-year-olds trialling. All carrying the Gee Gee moniker, these four wellbred youngsters were very well behaved, but it was a full sister to star sprinter Gee Gee Red Prince that had the pundits scrambling for the black book.
Gee Gee Queen Bee (Wordsmith-Annie’s Gee Gee) powered her way to a very impressive all the way win over 700m, scoring by more than five lengths, and she covered the 700m in a slick 44.87 seconds, running her last 600m in a sizzling 32.88.
Gee Gee Tip Top was second with Gee Gee Born Free third a length away, while Gee Gee Flicker was another four lengths away last.
They are all trained by Stuart Gandy, who was pleased with each of his juveniles. “It was quite an impressive trial by this filly [Gee Gee Queen Bee] but it’s early days yet,” he said.
“Gee Gee Queen Bee has shown us a lot from the outset. She is a bit of a smarty who thinks she knows it all, but most of the talented ones have a bit of character.
“Queen Bee will probably have another trial then we’ll decide if she is going to race early, but from what she’s shown so far I’d say she is definitely an early runner.
“Of the four of them I’d say three will progress and one [Flicker] will end up heading back to the paddock, but they are two-year-olds, so plans can change from day to day.”
Top jockey Siggy Carr rode Gee Gee Queen Bee.
“The filly did everything I asked of her but it was probably what I expected because I’ve been riding her in a lot of her trackwork and she’s always been well advanced,” Carr said.