THE THORNTON FACTOR HELPS GIDGET TO ANOTHER WIN

By Graham Potter | Monday, November 27, 2023

The four-year-old mare Gidget ticked both of those boxes when she came to Warwick to compete in a Band 0-58 Handicap over 1200m on November 27, but punters were looking elsewhere allowing Gidget to jump at a starting price of $17, in spite of the fact that, apart from the Thornton factor, he had won twice (both over 1200m) and been placed second in three of the four starts leading into this Warwick assignment.

Thornton’s first priority after jumping from a fairly wide barrier draw (nine out of thirteen) was to hustle Gidget into the early lead to try and take control of the race.

Gidget got there comfortably enough after which he duly conducted affairs from the front, quietly stretching the field out to the tune of as much as nine lengths down the back straight and through the sweep to the home turn where he cornered with a useful two length lead.

Thornton asked Gidget to give a kick early in the home straight and the daughter of Outreach responded willingly.

In spite of shifting ground mid-straight ... angling marginally to the outside ... Gidget never missed a beat and the wall of chasers, who looked threatening early in the home straight, gradually began to run out of menace as Gidget strode strongly all the way to the line to post a fifth career win by a 1.80 length margin.

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