Surprise Eagle Farm winner Jester’s Girl will have one more run for trainer Gerald Ryan in two weeks before being let loose to fatten up and run with the other mothers to be prior to foaling in the Spring.
Surprise Listed winner Jester's Girl, who is in foal, will have one more run. Photo by: Daniel Costello
The four year old mare is in foal to Magic Albert and Ryan was able to produce Jester’s Girl to win first up and gain valuable black type status when she scored an upset win in the Listed $80,000 Travel Associates Classic Fillies And Mares Plate (1200m) at Eagle Farmlast Saturday.
Winning jockey Paul Hammersley was able to get $41 outsider Jester’s Girl home by a nose causing a major upset over another Sydney visitor Bound To Blush ($4) and local Funtantes ($3.80 favourite) in a blanket finish.
Mares racing in foal is not very common but Ryan has had success in the past with Green Diamond winning the 2000 Listed $100,000 Queensland Cup (3200m) at Eagle Farm while in foal but says that they can be easy to train.
“The hormones kick in and they settle down, eat well and train well,” Ryan said.
“I haven’t had a lot to do with them but I did train one called Green Diamond and she won a Queensland Cup and that was over two miles.
“Jester’s Girl has come through the race well and she will go on to the 1300 metre race on Saturday week.”
Saturday’s win was only Jester’s Girl second race win from ten starts with her only other win coming at her second start in a Newcastle maiden but the addition of a black type win to her pedigree will add value to her foal for owner breeder Dean Fleming.
Jester’s Girl was having her first start since missing a place when fifth to Sweet Talkin Woman in a fillies and mares No Metropolitan Win race at Newcastle in August and most, except stable connections, didn’t expect her to figure in the finish.
“When I phoned Paul I told him not to look at her form,” Ryan said.
“She’s been very unlucky in a lot of her races and the whole plan with her when she came back into work was to aim her for this race.”
Ryan has only a limited time frame to give Jester’s Girl another chance of gaining more black type and will return to Eagle Farm in two weeks for the Listed $80,000 Just Now Quality Handicap (1300m) for fillies and mares.
“I haven’t spoken to her owner yet but there’s only a small window in which she can race while she’s still in foal,” Ryan said.
“Dean is in England right now but I’ll be speaking with him as soon as possible.
“There’s only a 120-day window in which she can race while in foal and she’s only got 30 days left.”
Jester’s Girl was the first leg of a long priced winning double for Hammersley at Eagle Farm on Saturday with the Gold Coast based jockey scoring later in the day for Toowoomba trainer Tony Sears on the $11 chance The Conspirator in the $50,000 Hardy Brothers Jewellers QTIS Three Year Old Handicap (1000m).
