The daughter of Strategic and Meedan beat some useful 3yr-old fillies at Ashburton yesterday following a nine-and-a-half-length win in a maiden race at Washdyke on June 19. Georgies Girl has raced four times.
"We raced three or four horses in the early '80s and then gave it [ownership] away," Noel Gillman said.
"We then decided to take it more seriously and bought this filly."
Georgies Girl is trained at Riccarton by Terri Rae, who suggested the Gillmans try the Magic Millions Yearling Sale on the Gold Coast when seeking a filly to race. Rae and her partner, Matt Shepherd, have bought their big winners Hold It Harvey, Don't Say Clang and others at the sale.
"Terri took her veterinarian with her and we looked at between 30 and 50 yearlings.
This filly sort of picked me because she looked at me and gave a neigh," Mr Gillman said.
Georgies Girl was a $17,000 purchase from the Woodlands Stud draft.
"She [Georgies Girl] will have a race during National week. She is above average," Rae said.
Rae was pleased with the fresh-up second of Don't Say Clang to Flying Alibi in the Winter Cup Trial yesterday.
"It was a fairly hard run. He was left in front at the top of the straight and it was a good effort especially over 1400m," Rae said.
The rising 8yr-old will race at either the Timaru meeting next Saturday or Oamaru in three weeks as a final lead-up to the National meeting.
Don't Say Clang won the Winter Classic (2000m) at the 2009 National meeting after he finished third in the Winter Cup.
Hold It Harvey is close to resuming.
"He is nearly ready for a trial and I would like to give him one or two starts before the weight-for-age spring races at Hastings," Rae said.
Hold It Harvey was spelled after winning the Awapuni Gold Cup in April. He also won the Thompson Handicap at Trentham and White Robe Lodge Handicap at Wingatui last season, taking his record to 13 wins for $554,675 in stakes.
Rewa, Miss Maximuss and Flying Petal were other 3yr-old fillies to win yesterday.
Rewa was impressive in a 1200m maiden race at her first start. She began well then drifted to mid-field. She recovered along the inner entering the stretch, took an gap at the 200m and bounded away.
She was a $700 purchase by her Ashburton owner, Gilbert Butterick, at the 2008 weanling sale at Karaka when offered by The Oaks Stud. The daughter of Traditionally and Tralae (by Snippets) is trained at Ashburton by Jan Hay.
Butterick, who has raced other horses, including Gufi and Lamaze, is on the committee of the Ashburton Racing Club. Lamaze has won two races from the Hay stable. Gufi, winner of four races from the Neil Coulbeck stable, is now owned and trained by John McKay.
Flying Alibi confirmed a start in the Winter Cup on August 6 with an impressive win in the Cup Trial (1400m) yesterday. It was his fourth win in his last five starts and guaranteed him a start in the $100,000 Winter Cup (1600m).
"It is almost a month to the Cup and whether we give him another race or a trial beforehand will depend on the horse and the state of the tracks," Michael Stokes, his co-trainer, said.
Stokes bought Flying Alibi for $10,000 as a 2yr-old at the 2008 Ready To Run sale at Karaka.
"I just liked the look of him when he came into the ring and also being out of a mare by O'Reilly," Stokes said.
Stokes approached Laurie Howard, of Timaru, a long-time client of the stable, who agreed to take a half share in the son of No Excuse Needed. Stokes operates a stable at Waikuku with his wife, Tarsha.
