Transferring to the mainland had proven challenging for Geegees Mistruth, yet the ex-Tasmanian mare captured the most significant success of her racing life by taking the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
Previously under the guidance of Stuart Gandy, Geegees Mistruth secured a pair of stakes victories during her juvenile season before finishing in the placings in three Melbourne Group events during the 2024 Spring.
Prior to moving to Mark Walker’s stable at Cranbourne, she notched up two additional Group 3 triumphs, then recorded placings in four out of six outings there, sometimes without fortune, before clinching the tightest possible win on Saturday.
Ridden with a perfect trip by Jordan Childs, the $31 outsider surged late against Bridal Waltz ($6.50) on the wire to prevail by a nose, with the slimmest margin separating her from the defending Sangster champion Charm Stone ($6.50) in third position.
Flying For Fun ($13) finished just a half-head behind the victor in fourth amid an exciting finish involving four contenders, and assistant trainer Ben Gleeson noted it was a welcome breakthrough for the gifted four-year-old.
“Her journey this spring and the autumn just sums up racing. It’s a lot of lows, but when the highs happen, they’re worth it,” Gleeson said.
“This filly arrived in our care back in the spring, and she came over in great order. Stuart Gandy, who has done all the work with her as a young horse and done a wonderful job.
“We just sort of thought, God, when are we going to get some luck with her? At least we got her when it counted most.
“She just peeled off their backs and I thought, ‘Oh, here we go.’
“She very rarely changes legs, and you sort of saw her do it for the first time in a long time.
“Credit to Jordy – he got his hands down in her neck and got the head down when it counted.”
This success marked Childs’ second elite-level victory, arriving nearly eight years after his initial Group 1 win in the 2016 Blue Diamond Stakes.
“It’s been a long time between drinks,” Childs said.
“Written By in 2018, I’ve had quite a few placings in between in the big group ones, and I was sort of hoping my second one would come a bit sooner, but anyway, still very grateful for the ride and the connections.
“Once I presented her, she quickened up well, we were getting challenged by the other horses, and she was able to hold on.”
“I wasn’t sure (who won), and I was looking up the drone to see where it was going, and it was pretty close to me, but Zahra was there as well, so I wasn’t sure if it was me and him, and then he said that I won.
“Winning another group one, it’s great.”
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