A bright future is being tipped for Gigi’s Prayer following her maiden win in the Trackside.co.nz 1400 at Ellerslie on Tuesday.
The daughter of St Mark’s Basilica showed plenty of promise when placing on debut at Tauranga last month and took natural progression into her second-up run on Melbourne Cup Day, where she jumped an $8 chance.
She settled in the one-one early for jockey Michael McNab, who bided his time off a slow pace and produced his charge three wide when turning for home. Pacemaker and race favourite Withallmystrength looked full of running, but Kumara Straight launched out of the trail and drew level with 200m to go. Gigi’s Prayer loomed out wide, and the pair went head-to-head, with Gigi’s Prayer getting the better of her rival in the concluding stages to win by a short head.
Co-trainer Robert Wellwood was impressed with Gigi’s Prayer’s victory over the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) bound Kumara Straight, and he believes there is a big win instore for his filly.
“I just wish it was two weeks ago. I reckon she would look pretty good in the 1000 Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) field,” said Wellwood, who trains in partnership with Roger James.
“It looked a bit grindy, but they went so slow in front. I thought it was a terrific effort to pick them up.
“She is still doing things a little bit wrong. She was caught wide and she is still working out how to get into a rhythm. She has the makings of a good filly, and the way she finished off, she has got some quality attributes.”
Wellwood said they will now consider stakes options over summer and autumn.
“I think she is going to take a bit more making before we start racing her up over ground. I think over Christmas and into autumn she is going to be pretty competitive,” he said.
“We wanted to get this out of the way. There are some great fillies races coming up and she has put herself right in those.”
Wellwood was also pleased to get the win for her group of owners, who include Windsor Park Stud marketing manager Mike Moran.
“The ownership group are very patient,” he said. “Mike Moran, who bred her with a group of friends, is a bit of a genius when it comes to breeding. He bred So You Think. He told me all about why she would be good, and he might be right.”
Stablemate Spellbound tailed the field home and Wellwood said they will likely drop him back in distance, with the son of Per Incanto having won his two previous starts this preparation over 1200m and 1215m.
“He just went too hard,” Wellwood said. “He got back on a very slow pace. He just may back off and go back to 1200m. He is a quality horse, but it just didn’t work in his favour today.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
