Relaxed Giselle Anne ready to live up to early promise
NOT many form students would have thought two years ago that Giselle Anne would have to wait until early 2021 to win a race.
The daughter of Snitzel almost won the Group 3 Widden Stakes in February 2019 but it took another 18 starts to break her maiden at Bathurst and she’s trying to go back-to-back at the track on Monday.
Co-trainer Lee summed it up well.
“It’s been very frustrating,”
Curtis
he said. “Some two-year-olds come along and show you a bit but then they don’t come up the next preparation.”
Giselle Anne runs in a Benchmark 58 Handicap (1300m) on Monday and her win last time wasn’t a fluke.
She did it as a $2.10 chance after running well without winning in a series of much higher graded races and she was one of the best maiden horses in NSW.
Rosehill-based Curtis is naturally confident she can win another country race.
“I think she’s in a sweet spot, that’s for sure,” he said.
“When she went to Wyong the start before she just got beaten and she’s just gone to a new level this preparation.
“She’s always shown a lot of ability but she just seems to be in a better head space.
“She did it well last start and we’re hoping she can go back and win again then work her way back to town via a provincial race.
“I feel like she can do that.” Giselle Anne’s success has come down to her reinventing herself as a racehorse.
She’s more complete now and from a wide gate on Monday jockey Blake Spriggs will be able to take a sit on her.
“She started off as a twoyear-old filly that just wanted to jump and go but she’s relaxing now and she can sit in behind them now and relax,” Curtis said.
“Putting Rachel King on her (at Wyong) and in the trials a couple of times really helped her in that respect.
“Her work has been super and she’s learned to relax.
“Blake Spriggs said she’d have no problems at all with 1300m. He said she got a bit lost in front and she enjoyed going to the front more than being in front.”
Earlier in the day Curtis is debuting Byron in a Maiden Plate (1108m).
He’s a three-year-old gelding by Dawn Approach and the stable has taken plenty of time with him.
His past two trials have been against some top horses like Jenga and Vowmaster.
“We think he’s looking for a bit more ground but he did work quite sharp the other day so I think he can run a race,” Curtis said.