GEE TEE TEE POWERS HOME FOR A DECISIVE WIN

By Graham Potter | Sunday, May 16, 2021

The Steven O’Dea / Matt Hoysted training partnership only brought one horse to Doomben on Saturday and it turned out to be a quick and successful smash and grab job when Gee Tee Tee shot down his opposition in the opening race on the card,

Jockey Ben Thompson took the Written Tycoon gelding back to third last at the break and he was content to hold that position some five lengths back in the sweep to the turn. Just before straightening, Gee Tee Tee (the $3.60 favourite) was racing closer to the speed and Thompson was finding his way to the outside of the pack.

Presented with clear running in the early part of the home straight, Gee Tee Tee set about his task with meaning, quickly going through the gears at a rate of knots which no other runner seemed to be able to match.

Gee Tee Tee still had to reach the front though as Howwonderfullifeis ($8.50) tried to cling on at the head of affairs with Gee Tee Tee’s market rival Beau Ideal ($3.90) chasing the leader but struggling to rein him in.

At the 200m mark Gee Tee Tee was still some three lengths in arrears but closing fast. By the 100m mark Gee Tee Tee had hit the lead, from which moment he was never in any danger of defeat, the winning margin of 2.80 lengths confirming the five-year-old’s superiority.

The $21 outsider Zac Attack is one for the notebook after rattling home late to earn second place while Beau Ideal did eventually get past Howwonderfullifeis but finished a well-beaten third.

Gee Tee Tee was the first of three winners on the day for Ben Thompson. He would later follow up with wins on Glitter Strip and Prince Of Boom.

“He put the writing on the wall last start,” said Thompson. (Gee Tee Tee finished third to Cardiff over the same track and distance with Thompson on board a month prior to Saturday’s run). “He was unlucky. He was in behind horses and, if he got out earlier, he would have won.

“There was nothing I wanted to do more than to redeem myself after that ride and I feel now like I have done just that.

“This time everything panned out perfectly. I followed the Godolphin horse (Beau Ideal) who was following Le Palmier ($6). It took me where I needed to go, and we were too good.

“it was great to see him do what he did. By far, it is his best win to date,” said Thompson of the now five-time winner (from only thirteen starts).

“In all of his work and his trials, his best performances are when he has had horses to chase. In the majority of his last preparation … albeit that there was a Saturday win in there … we were probably forced to ride him closer from the wide draws.

“He’s got the pace to do that, but we know he is so good with a horse to chase. On a gallop morning he sits off a companion and loves catching up to it.

“This time we were able to ride him that way from barrier five and it was a dominant win in the end.”

Co-trainer Matt Hoysted was equally pleased with the result and agreed with Thompson with regard to Gee Tee Tee’s best pattern of racing.

“In those (previous) races … half were from bad alleys … he does have good, early gate speed and he has just half-landed closer by default, but we’ve always had the opinion that he is always better having a bit of a sit and chasing something down” said Hoysted.

“Once he is getting up into these better races, with a bit more tempo on, that is certainly going to be the way to ride him.

“He kept himself nice and relaxed today. He is one that can get a little bit hot in the yard, but he stayed nice and relaxed. He is still only lightly raced (a five-year-old with thirteen starts) so the more he does the more he is going to iron out those little issues that he has.

“I couldn’t be more happy with the run. It was a great ride by Ben (Thompson).

“He was quite critical of himself with that ride last start, so it was good that the owners kept faith with Ben. They kept him on and he was able to justify that decision with the win.

“We know how strong Gee Tee Tee can attack the line when he has got something to really chase now.

“He might just be a serious horse coming into the carnival.”

More articles