Racing: Gee I Jane ready for action

Trainer Stephen Autridge is definitely not unhappy that his top sprinter Keeninsky finished second to Gee I Jane at Tuesday's Cambridge trials.

And trainer Neville Couchman is at a 12-month high in optimism for Gee I Jane going into the Ellerslie holiday carnival.

Keeninsky is the TAB's $5 futures betting favourite for the group one Telegraph Handicap at Trentham in late January.

Autridge and regular rider Allan Peard are adamant punters should not switch from that view after Keeninsky finished a head behind local mare Gee I Jane on a rain-affected track on Tuesday.

"He was racing out in the middle of the track and probably looking for a rail to run around," said Autridge.

"The rain-affected footing didn't suit him and all we wanted was for Peardy to tell us he felt the horse was improved from the first barrier trial.

"He came back in and said he'd improved out of sight."

Peard declared Keeninsky a much stronger horse after his first barrier trial win at Cambridge and Autridge said there is no comparison to the horse that won the Telegraph in January this year.

"He's definitely strengthened. He's grown up in front and for the first time in his life he's actually got a wither. He's levelled up completely."

Keeninsky will not race before the Telegraph and Autridge intends giving him an exhibition gallop between races a week or two before the big race.

"Hopefully I can find a meeting on a left-handed track, but if it has to be right-handed then that's okay."

Couchman has had a nightmare winless time with Gee I Jane since her golden patch of mid-summer form a year ago.

She won the Concorde at Avondale in stunning fashion then flashed home to finish second to Australian mare Recurring in the Railway on January 1 at Ellerslie.

The Railway winning margin was half a length after Gee I Jane became tangled with Devoted when looking to work into the clear halfway up the home straight.

A couple of trips to Australia since have been costly.

Couchman discovered the classy mare had a lung infection after a number of starts during the recent Melbourne spring carnival.

"It took us a while to pick up that there was something wrong because there were excuses for her in her early starts.

"Her first run was from a bad gate and Greg Childs said he didn't ride her that well, then Larry Cassidy said she didn't handle the Flemington straight course in her second run.

"So we always felt we had an excuse.

"It wasn't until she ran sideways at Sandown that we had her scoped and the vet said there was a little scarring in her lungs.

"Clearly she was having trouble getting the right fuel, getting her oxygen."

Gee I Jane had a two-week break on returning at Cambridge and Couchman knew he finally had the mare right when she worked in dazzling style last Saturday morning.

Visiting Australian rider Scott Seamer will ride Gee I Jane in the $200,000 Waiwera Infinity Railway at Ellerslie on January 1.

Coleman thought he had Michael Coleman for the mare, but Coleman has booked himself for Vaalu.

Given the 2005 Railway result, Gee I Jane looks value at $16 in futures betting on the January 1 sprint.

Seamer will be at Ellerslie after agreeing to ride classy juvenile Don Garcia in the $50,000 Eclipse Stakes.