The Briseis Function Centre Hurdle opened Geelong's
eight-race card, in which promising jumper Wilson Road, who started favourite,
saluted by three lengths. Coming with a strong finishing burst, he defeated
second-favourite Loanshark, with outsider Raffin Heir four and a half lengths
away in third placing.
The first feature race of the day was the $13,000
Carlton Draught TBV Red Ruby heat for two-year-old fillies. The Red Ruby
series was started last year by Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria, with good
prizemoney available for the fillies who can earn the most points during
the heats and qualify for the final (read
more about the Red Ruby here).
Geelong's heat was the first in the series, run
over 1100m, with half the field being unraced. Several of the debutants
were daughters of stakes-winning mares, but punters favoured the more experienced
of the rivals. She's My Baby, a filly from the Tony McEvoy stable, was
sent out the favourite after an impressive recent barrier trial at Werribee,
but had also shown a good deal of talent on the racetrack in her two career
starts, which included a second placing to speedy filly Innovation Girl.
Clarry Conners' filly Loyal Lauren was also expected to run a good race
after her recent Sandown fourth to promising Tequila Knowledge, and Fairbit
was given a chance, stepping down sharply in class after two fair blacktype
runs.
Jockey Mark Zahra took She's My Baby to the lead
from her wide barrier, and used the filly's speed to advantage, as she
ran along in front and managed to hold off the fast-finishing Bimbo Limbo
by a half-length. The second filly was a little unlucky, having missed
the start and getting back to last. Loyal Lauren was third in, followed
by Fairbit.
She's My Baby and Mark Zahra return to scale (left)
and the filly after being unsaddled
Race six on the program was the 1335m TEAC Rising Stars Class 3 for
the apprentice riders. The race lost some of it's gloss when six of the
fifteen runners were scratched, but it still left nine apprentices keen
to add to their scores in the TEAC Rising Stars series (read
more about the series here).
Royal Isolt and Vin Caddy return to scale (left) and prepare to
unsaddle
