Girl George wins debut

Press, 12 January 1987, Page 29

Girl George wins debut

PA Invercargill Girl George, the recordbreaking filly at the Winton qualifying trials on December 8, eclipsed that performance when she made her race debut on the same track on Saturday. Beginning her career in a penalty-bearing race for maiden pacers at the 0.T.8. trials, Girl George scorched over 2400 m from a mobile start in 3:02.45, the last 800 m in 58.8.

This bettered the Southland mobile start record of 3:03.5, set by Trevira at Winton on October 4, 1980, and is just outside the New Zealand standing start record of 3:01.7, set by Josephine Bret at Winton on November 3, 1984. When she qualified five weeks ago the Sir DalraeDo Without filly was the talk of the trotting fraternity with her nationalrecord qualifying time of 3:04.77.

Sceptics, who dismissed the effort as a one-off effort, were proved wrong on Saturday when the three-year-old ran her rivals ragged to win the penalty bearing event with first prize of $l3OO. Girl George started from No 3 at the barrier. She settled well early, three back on the outer, but driver, Colin Lee, decided to take her to the front with 2000 m to run.

Over the final 1200 metres Forward Pass, a Pass With Care gelding which has shown good form of late, was the only one to keep within challenging distance. Forward Pass moved off the trail to challenge at the home turn, but Giri George quickly responded and beat him by two lengths. There was a slightly bigger margin to Strike One, which just shaded Ryan Dundee and Swift Berry. Lee was jubilant at the performance.

“I didn’t go out there today to prove anything,” he said. "I went out to try to win the race, not break any records. I kept her under control throughout and she did the job just like I thought she would.” i. The second penalty race, run over a similar distance from a stand, went to Merry Nurse. In a tight finish she got up to beat Oraki Bay by half a neck, with a similar margin to Balarney. The time was 3:10.80, which was most creditable considering that a thunderstorm, accompanied by heavy rain, lashed the course as the horses started the final round.