Racing: Gee, you are turning into a star

Saturday's win has elevated Gee I Jane to a $9 joint favourite for the Stradbroke Handicap

So often tagged the unlucky horse, Gee I Jane chalked up her second group one win in Brisbane on Saturday and is now joint favourite for the A$1 million ($1.24 million) Stradbroke Handicap.

The five-year-old Cambridge-trained mare zoomed home along the inside rail to take out the A$300,000 BTC Cup at Doomben, giving 35-year-old trainer Neville Couchman his biggest thrill in racing.

Gee I Jane won her first group one, the Telegraph Handicap at Trentham in January, after two close-up seconds in the past two Railway Handicaps and an unlucky sixth in last year's Telegraph.

"She's run up backsides or been closed out and got beaten by lips and noses, but the plan came together yesterday," Couchman, who rates Gee I Jane the best sprinter in New Zealand, said yesterday.

"To win a group one in Australia is unbelievable. When she won the Telegraph, I was reasonably happy, but to crack one here, that's the best form in the world as far as I am concerned."

He said it was especially pleasing, because Kiwi sprinters don't have a good record in Australia.

Couchman said Gee I Jane's main target is the Stradbroke, to be run at Eagle Farm over 1400m on June 10.

She is nominated for the Doomben 10,000 (1350m) on May 27, but is likely to miss that on jockey Scott Seamer's recommendation.

"Scotty said to me after she won the Telegraph to keep her to six furlongs (1200m) and then the Stradbroke because they will probably run it like a six furlong race."

Seamer told him the Doomben 10,000 was often a stop-start affair and wouldn't suit the mare. They conferred after yesterday's win and decided it would be best to miss the race.

"There's no point in running it just because you can," Couchman said

Gee I Jane, who was rated a $26 chance in the Stradbroke before Saturday's win, is now a $9 joint favourite with Australian bookmakers, along with Red Oog, Shania Dane and St Basil.

Queensland jockey Seamer has been a popular choice with New Zealand trainers since his association with 2001 Melbourne Cup winner Ethereal, but his link with Gee I Jane came from a stroke of luck, Couchman said.

"Michael Coleman was going to ride her in the Railway Handicap, but then opted for Vaalu, so a mate suggested I ring Scott and as he was coming over to ride one of the Vela brothers' horses," Couchman recalled.

Gee I Jane finished second in the Railway before heading for the Telegraph.

Couchman said Seamer was well aware of the good fortune he had had with Gee I Jane.

"He said to me yesterday he couldn't believe his luck. Three rides on the horse for two group ones and a second in a group one," Couchman said.

"I said to him I hope he makes it three group ones in the Stradbroke."

The sizzling pace of the BTC Cup suited Gee I Jane, even though she didn't begin as well as Seamer would have liked, and ended up settling third-last on the inside.

Said Seamer: "I was never confident ... it wasn't until we were inside the 100m that I thought we were a winning chance.

"I came off the fence as we straightened looking for a run and I had no hope of getting one, so went back and there was a run there and she chased it and we got home."

Daunting Lad, who came off the rail at the 100m mark to give Gee I Jane a clear run, finished second ahead of pacemaker All Bar One.

Favourite Virage De Fortune was a disappointing 12th and will be subject to a number of vet tests.

Gee I Jane is owned by beef and sheep farmer Keiran McCarthy and dairy owner Lance Mackie, both of Hastings.

"They played rugby together and have been mates for years," Couchman said.

The BTC Cup was Gee I Jane's sixth win from 21 starts and she has now earned more than A$460,000 in prizemoney.

- NZPA