Holt targets Jewel riches with top trio

Premier trainer George Holt would love nothing better than to bring up her 100^th Townsville winner in the year’s first big feature for two-year-olds at Cluden Park tomorrow.

Holt will saddle up three leading chances in the Lawrence and Hanson QTIS Jewel Qualifier (1000m) which will book the winner a shot at the $500,000 final at the Gold Coast on March 9.

Already with a maiden Cluden premiership on the shelf, Holt, who prepares a team of up to 25 with her jockey husband Aidan, sits on 99 career wins in Townsville.

She admitted yesterday she was going into the $25,000 Jewel Qualifier quietly confident with her runners – Dance For Me Randy, Time To Prophet and Margot Barbie.

“I think they’ll all run well. Randy and particularly Prophet have always shown us plenty and they’ve been a bit ahead of Barbie,” Holt said.

“Both of them (Randy and Prophet) had those couple of runs late last year and then a spell and have come back stronger and better.

“But Barbie’s been going well. She was always going to be an out and out two-year-old because she bounces and runs and puts herself straight into a race, and for that reason we kept her going.

“They’ve all pleased us and this race will be a good guide on just how they’ll measure up in better class.

“We’ve targeted the race, particularly with Time To Prophet who we think is a good horse.”

Time To Prophet couldn’t have been more impressive at her first day at the races, bolting away with the time honoured Pallarenda Stakes for fillies in October.

That same day Dance For Me Randy finished second in the colts and gelding heat, but then stunned the Holts when he defeated Time For Prophet in a photo finish at their next start.

“Time To Prophet is a good horse, just that second start the heat got her and she pulled up pretty jaded when Randy beat her over 1000m,” Holt said.

“We never thought we’d see that happen - just off her track work.

“From day dot she’s been pretty smart even from the time she was at the breakers.

“Randy wants 1200m and when you look at him he’s a big striding horse and he’s grown again.

“They’ve done enough (work). They had an easy jumpout a fortnight ago. They spelled well and have definitely improved.

“How much they’ve improved and how much Margot Barbie has improved we’ll find out.

“We’d have to consider going down for the final on the Gold Coast with that sort of money but we’ll see how we go and how they come through it.

“It’s only a small field but there’s some strong opposition and Les Gordy’s horse Hell Of A Bentley might be the big improver.”

The Holt trip will be up against just three opponents but all winners – That’s It, Hand Grenade and the precocious Hell Of A Bentley who won on debut.

That’s It, prepared by Roy Chillemi was impressive winning a 2yo Mdn at Cluden earlier in the month after a strong second at his first start to Hell Of A Bentley.

Hand Grenade rattled home to finish fourth in the same race after recording an easy win in Cairns.

Holt, who is leading the Cluden premiership with nine winners, also has strong winning prospects later in the day with Hurtle in the Brilliant Group BM65 Hcp (1000m) and Tioga Pass in the Ladbroke It BM58 Hcp (12000m).

The nine event card kicks off at 11.55am.

Pictured: Talented filly Time To Prophet dashes to an impressive win in the Pallarenda Stakes for fillies at Cluden in October. The filly will spearhead trainer Georgie Holt's three-pronged attack on the Lawrence & Hanson 2YO QTIS Jewel Qualifier tomorrow.

See the racing calendar for upcoming race days.