Racing: Gee Baby up to the mark

Gee Baby is starting to fulfil the promise trainer Grant Laursen always knew she had.

After clearing maidens at her third start at Wanganui on June 16, Gee Baby stepped out against her own age group of 3-year-olds at Otaki yesterday to score a narrow win in the $10,000 Tegel Foods 3yo (1400m).

"I've always had a high opinion of her and she won four jump-outs by 10-15 lengths before she went to the races," Laursen said.

"I was probably a bit smart taking her to the races without a trial and she ran off at her first start," he said.

The Exploding Prospect filly is the first foal from the former talented but unruly mare Jazzy Jetta, who won three races for Laursen.

"She was a good mare but she wouldn't eat and we had a lot of problems with her in the starting gates," Laursen recalled.

"We had to blindfold her and she jumped out over the back of the gates one day."

Rather than persevere with her, Laursen retired her to stud and sent her to Exploding Prospect.

Laursen has enjoyed great success with the stock of the sire and was given two free stud services as a result. The two horses he has bred have been Gee Baby and Smokebox. The latter has recorded a win and two seconds from four starts.

Laursen subsequently sold Jazzy Jetta to breed show jumping horses.

Gee Baby is raced by Laursen in partnership with his partner Sarah Satherley along with long time friend Anthony Albertson and Martinborough couple Colin Polglase and Carolyn Nicol.

Gee Baby is now likely to be set for the Grand National meeting at Riccarton in August.

Laursen is planning to take a team of three or four horses south.

- NZPA