 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 2010
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
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| Paramount Geegee on outer |
It was well inside the final 100 metres before Paramount Geegee stamped his authority on the finish of the Group 3 GlenferrieStud NZ Trotting Stakes last week. Until a fair way up the straight, Dolly Would and Latheronwheel were game and tireless, with the favourite busy getting level before finally edging past.
Driver Peter Davis, standing in for Robbie Holmes who was in Blenheim and on the sideline for another month following concussion, confirmed the view that there was never a danger of defeat. "There was more there," he said. "He did it very well."
It was the sixth unbeaten start for the big bay son of Pegasus Spur, who is trained at Cambridge by John Dickie but has been based at Leithfield, where Holmes trains. He was bought as a yearling for $26,000 by Dickie, who trained his dam Paramount Star to win seven in a short career. "He was a natural right from the start, and for a big horse was very light on his feet. He qualified on his own at Cambridge, but when I saw that all the money and most of the racing was down here, I sent him to Robbie," said Dickie.
Paramount Geegee had not raced for six weeks, but Dickie had no fear that he wasn't ready for the task at Addington. "He'd had a week off, but I did not think he was short, but you often wonder whether you've been a bit easy. He'll still benefit from it," he said.
Dickie said he was looking "for an edge" when he removed the nearside pole and overcheck from his gear. "His mother never wore an overcheck." Paramount Geegee has the Sires' Stakes Final on Saturday week, the Harness Jewels back on his home track after that, and there is the opportunity to race in the Breeders' Crown later on.
Dickie, who works a team of 11, returned to the yearling sales this year to invest in another son of Pegasus Spur, but the outlay was significantly more - $61,000. "He's exactly the same - a big bay with the same attitude. We fell in love with him as soon as he came out of the box, we honestly did. He's the same horse all over again."
The opposition to Paramount Geegee is not far behind. The young trotters by Artsplace, Sundon, Monarchy, Dream Vacation and Continentalman were all in the hunt and made a fine finish to it.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 5May10