Local runner Gigi produced a herculean performance to claim an amazing home track victory at Tauranga on Saturday in the Bayleys Tauranga 2100 (2100m).
The consistent six-year-old looked to be a forlorn chance when he had to sit three wide for a greater part of the early stages in the open stayers contest before tracking pacemaker Khan Hunter and then moving forward to lodge his claim rounding the home bend.
Quickly caught and headed by eventual runner-up Solidify, Gigi and rider George Rooke appeared to have spent their winning chips at that stage although no-one had told the Jim Pender-trained runner as he lifted off the canvas and landed a knockout blow in the final 50m to hold out Solidify and the fast finishing Sassy Lass.
Pender cut an emotional figure as he waited for his home track hero to make it back to the winner’s enclosure.
“They (victories) don’t come any better than that,” Pender said.
“He’s only a little horse and has carried 58kgs today. I possibly should have claimed but I had already declared a rider (Rooke) before the weights came out.
“He’s not big but you know every time you put that saddle on him, he is going to try hard.
“In his first four trials he ran last but I said to the boys (owner’s Markwood Lodge) don’t worry as this horse can gallop. He has actually proved me wrong as he is better than what I thought he would be.
“We will probably look at the Counties Cup (Gr.3, 2100m) in three weeks as he has just improved and is a lovely horse to do anything with.”
Bred and raced by the Matijasevich family under their Markwood Lodge banner, Gigi is a son of Whie Robe Lodge-based stallion Ghibellines and the first foal of their three-race winner Hilarious. His extended family includes Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) winner Blackfriars and multiple stakes winner Waterford Road.
Gigi has now won six of his thirty starts and over $204,000 in prizemoney.