Gregorian Girl – winner after 211 days off
GREGORIAN GIRL defied an absence of 211 days from the racetrack to win at Kempton last night under Jack Duern at the rewarding odds of 12/1 much to the delight of owners Skipsey, Franks & Roper And A Chapman.
The three-year-old filly made all in a pillar to post victory over the seven furlong trip in a nine-runner handicap and throughout the race, she never really looked as though she was going to be caught.
Gregorian Girl was well berthed in stall two and Jack took full advantage of her low draw, jumping her out smartly and the pair went straight to the front. Ridden two furlongs from home, she kept on nicely inside the distance and although the well backed favourite tried to close, he was always going to struggle to catch the Harper Lodge Farm filly.
This was only Gregorian Girl’s fifth ever run and although she had run twice over seven furlongs last year, at Chelmsford and Wolverhampton, she was inexperienced and weak. A winter on her back has clearly done her the power of good and hopefully there’s plenty more improvement in her.
Gregorian Girl was a relatively cheap purchase, just £10,000 so with very few miles on the clock and the scope to go on, it’s looking at this stage as though that was money very well spent!
Two of the owners, Dean Skipsey and Oliver Franks also own a share in Spring Romance. It looks as thought they have two nice horses on their hands!
This was the stable’s first runner this month, so it was good to get April off to a good start. With the turf season now a week old, the yard will have start to have more runners on both the grass and all-weather.
