Nothing Average About Pallarenda Winner Jane

The name suggests she’s nothing special, but Average Jane showed she’s a filly with a future with a dazzling debut win at Cluden on Saturday.

Average Jane, who gets her name from some less than lovely legs breezed home to win the season’s two-year-old starter in the fillies’ division of the Hedley Racing Pallarenda Stakes.

The win with top hoop Nathan Day in the saddle continued the red hot run for the team of George and Aidan Holt who have led in seven Townsville winners over the past five meetings.

Average Jane, the daughter of rising sire The Mission out of Smarty Jane, was a bargain buy for the Holts who secured her for $5000 after she was snubbed at the sales because of scars on her legs.

“They look a bit average and that’s how she got the name. Plain Jane was already gone,” Aidan Holt said.

“Cameron and Kelly Bond at Kenmore Lodge had her and I thought it was too good of a sort to buy at the March sales and would go for too much. I didn’t worry about it but she was passed in.

“I rang Kelly up and she said no there’s nothing wrong with her she’s just got bad scars on her legs and everyone’s been dodging it.

“She said it’s a good sort, scopes and x-rays are clean and she eventually said you can have her for $5000.

“I’ll give it to her. She said she’ll win races up here and she was right.

“I was really stoked with her run at the trials. I was able to give her a look in behind them, I never let her off the bridle and she handled everything really well.

“Nathan (Day) stayed back from the races the day before to watch our two and as soon as I came back in he said I’ll ride her.

“She’s just wanted to be a race horse and we were confident she’d run well.”

Average Jane will now have a week in the paddock before the Holts decide on whether the filly will race on or spell.

After settling mid-field Average Jane finished full of running to come clear to beat the speedy Salika Diva by 1 1/2 lengths in 58.41 secs for the 1000m.

The Rob Kirkwood-trained Jazz Worthy flashed late to finish third a neck away.

Rockhampton breeder Brian Hall of Graceville Thoroughbreds unearthed another potential star after Sunnycoast scored a big win in the colts’ and geldings’ division as a heavily backed favourite in a fast 57.23secs.

Trained by Townsville Cup winning trainer Jamie Maconachie, Sunnycoast was dominant in his 3 length win over Elie Joe and The Wallet.

Sunnycoast carried the same colours as the classy mare Gracie Belle who raced with success in the north before going on to win the $400,000 Country Championship at Royal Randwick for Graceville Thoroughbreds at the 2020 Sydney racing carnival.

Trainer-jockey Bonnie Thompson took riding honours on Saturday with a winning double after scoring on Hell Of A Boy and Dusky Damsel in successive races before finishing second in both divisions of the Pallarenda on her filly Salika Diva and the Les Smerdon-trained Elie Joe.

Pictured: Nothing average about Jane!  Average Jane powers clear for a decisive debut win in fillies' division of Hedley Racing Pallarenda Stakes at Cluden on Saturday.

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