New Zealand-bred mare Grid Girl made her first visit to Sydney on Sunday and maintained her rich vein of form, extending her winning sequence to three in the A$160,000 TAB Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill.
The five-year-old daughter of Time Test recorded the first leg of her winning treble in a 1454m Benchmark 70 at Kyneton on November 5, then added the A$150,000 Fillies & Mares Pendant (1400m) at Cranbourne on November 22.
Trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes gave Grid Girl her first taste of right-handed racing at Rosehill on Sunday, and she had to overcome an awkward draw in gate 10 among a 15-horse field.
But she began well and jockey Jordan Childs was able to take up a handy position in third. Childs moved Grid Girl through her gears in the straight and she finished strongly down the middle of the track.
Grid Girl hit the lead passing the 100m mark and then fought hard to the line to hold out the late-finishing Just Party in a photo finish. The winning margin was a half-head.
“It worked out well from the wide gate and the plan was to be positive on her,” Childs said. “A couple of them wanted to go quick, so I was happy to let them go and get a bit of cover.
“It was a good, tough win in the end, because she got challenged when she was probably a bit out on her feet, but she held on.”
Grid Girl has now had 18 starts for six wins, five placings and A$303,996 in stakes.
Grid Girl was bred by Guy Lowry and is out of the five-time-winning Savabeel mare Chic. Lowry initially trained Grid Girl for two starts from his Hastings stable in the spring of 2023, placing on both occasions before being purchased privately by clients of the Lindsay Park stable. – NZ Racing Desk.
