Racing
Zany Girl ready for her toughtest test
One of Tasmania’s most promising fillies will face her toughest test when she tackles the $175,000 Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in Victoria on Saturday.
A winner of four of her six starts and placed in the other two, Zany Girl will be one of the leading contenders to be named Tasmania's outstanding 2yo at the racing awards dinner in Launceston later this month.
Zany Girl, who won brilliantly in BM72 company resuming in Hobart last month, travelled to Melbourne on Monday night and champion jockey Craig Williams is booked for the ride.
"We're very excited about having her in that race on Saturday," said Managing Owner Joe O'Neill from Prime Thoroughbreds.
"Her return race in Hobart when she won suggested to us that we should have a throw at the stumps against the better fillies in Melbourne.
"You never know, she has done a very good job this filly. She won her first three starts, and we kept her in work for the Magic Millions and Gold Sovereign. She had a long campaign, but when she was at her top, she was dominant.
"She's a very smart filly, and she's a lot stronger now, she's grown, and you just never know where they can go. We put a nomination in for the Thousand Guineas just in case," O'Neill said.
"She relaxes well in her races, if she does step up all well and good, if she doesn't reach that high standard, then we will bring her home for the Tasmanian Carnival."
The news wasn't so good for her star stablemate Geegees Mistruth, who pulled up with an abnormal respiratory noise after finishing down the track in the Cockram Stakes at Caulfield last Saturday.
"Although she recovered quickly, her symptoms mean she will require a satisfactory endoscopic examination prior to racing again," trainer Stuart Gandy reported.
Geegees Mistruth, who won both the Mystic Journey and Vamos Stakes at Group 3 level last season, will remain in Melbourne and is in the care of Te Aqau Racing at Cranbourne.
Another Tasmanian galloper that could be heading interstate is the John Keys-trained Cartoon Graveyard, who is entered for a 1400m BM78 hcp at Morphettville in South Australia on Saturday.
Cartoon Graveyard has won six of his 21 starts. He finished third in a class 6 (1390m) in Hobart when resuming on 10 August.
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