Georgie Holt's Jane is certainly not Average

By Jordan Gerrans

The Holt stable will have a trip to Brisbane in the back of their mind when the resuming Average Jane tackles a QTIS Jewel Qualifier at Cairns’ Cannon Park on Friday afternoon.

The FNQ race is the last of the four regional qualifiers for the feature Jewel meeting in the city later this month, following events at Townsville, Rockhampton and Mackay.

The Holt stable – led by trainer Georgie and husband Aidan – have been regulars in recent seasons qualifying their gallopers for country series’ such as the Battle of the Bush and the Country Cups Challenge Finals.

While Georgie is not locked in on sending her reigning Pallarenda Stakes winner to the big smoke, it will be a consideration if she can resume in smart fashion on Friday in the Tropics.

The daughter of The Mission prepared for her first-up assignment with a barnstorming trial in the middle of last month, screeching clear to win by almost 10 lengths.

With Aidan in the saddle in the trial, Georgie says the massive gap she put on the remainder of the small field was somewhat misleading.

The chestnut filly can be prone to overdoing it and Georgie says that was the case over 850 metres at Cluden on that occasion.

“She did everything upside down in the trial, she started with her head in the air and was just a bull at the gates,” Georgie said.

“She was overdoing everything and the part where you want to see her doing her best work, which is late in the trial, then she had done that in the beginning.

“She was a bit like this in her work leading up to the trial, as well.

“Following that trial, I was a bit worried that she needed to go back to the paddock but since then, that has taken the edge off her and she has been a lot nicer in her work.

“She has been better, coming back to the riders in work and getting around a bit better.

“She has been a lot more manageable since then and I cannot fault her.”

The Holts are again having a strong season from their Nome base in North Queensland, ranked inside the top 15 on the provincial trainers leader board with a few months to go in the campaign.

The stable initially wanted to call the $5,000 purchase from the March Magic Millions Sales “Plain Jane”, which was already taken, so they settled on Average Jane.

She was passed in at the sales initially before Aidan chased her up and she was eventually on the way to NQ.

Average Jane has collected over $70,000 in career earnings from just four trips to the races, which includes over $20,000 in QTIS bonuses.

That total is a strong chance to again rise by Friday afternoon in the QTIS 2YO Plate over the speedy 940 metres.

“Her legs are full of scars, she looks pretty average in that sense,” Georgie explained about the youngsters name.

“Structurally, she is completely sound and we have never had any issues with her, thus far, in terms of muscle or shin soreness.

“If she can hold it together going forward, I do think she can win a couple more.”

While Average Jane looms as the class runner in Friday’s small field, Georgie does have some minor questions around how she will handle her first trip away from Cluden Park.

The trainer describes her emerging filly as “mature” and does not think the four hour float trip north should trouble her too much.

And, if all goes to plan, she could find herself soon in Brisbane running in the $500,000 decider.

“I would not completely rule out heading down if she was to win the qualifier and I could get her on a truck down to Brisbane,” she said.

“We will assess after Friday.

“If she wins, we will see how she handles the travel and the heat before making a decision.

“If she comes through it alright, we would think about sending her down.

“She is going really good.”

A field of seven 2YO gallopers have been accepted for the FNQ qualifier.

Cairns’ Cannon Park is set to host a massive 10 event program on Friday.

The track is currently rated as a Heavy 10 on Thursday morning with plenty of sunshine forecast in the lead-up to the first event on Friday.

Three QTIS Jewel Prelude races will headline the card from Eagle Farm this Saturday afternoon as the momentum builds towards the QTIS Jewel for 2023.

Staged on March 18, the $2 million Queensland Jewel Raceday will be hosted at the Brisbane Racing Club for the first time this year.

It will once again be headlined by the $500,000 2YO QTIS Jewel and 3YO QTIS Jewel.