STAFF WRITERS
HORSE RACING
MOE’S Team Gelagotis has a genuine contender for Victoria’s premier two-year-old race, the Blue Diamond.
She is Miss Roseiano, who made a winning debut to secure the Group 3 Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) for fillies on debut at Caulfield on Australia Day.
The Peter Gelagotis-trained daughter of Exceed And Excel ($14) led all the way to defeat Written Swoosh ($12) by a half-length.
Miss Roseiano stopped the clock in 57.17 seconds, more than half a second quicker than Daumier, the winner of the Colts and Geldings preview clocked 30 minutes earlier.
In doing so, Miss Roseiano not only recouped her price purchase of $300,000 at the Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, but comfortably added to that value and staked her claim as a major contender for the
Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m).
“That was unbelievable,” Manny Gelagotis, who selected and purchased the filly as a yearling, said post-race.
“She’s had one trial and I know it’s easy to say after the race, but the last month has been really difficult with her because – we’ve had a lot of good horses and this one is out of the box.
“This horse has shown exceptional talent and I am very pleased she transformed that to the racetrack today.”
Manny Gelagotis said the filly had trialled well, but it was not enough to attract one of the state’s big name jockeys.
Instead, Jordan Childs, who is building up a good association with the Gelagotis stable, made the trek to the Latrobe Valley to ride Miss Roseiano in her work ahead of the debut appearance.
“Manny gave me a call last week and said he’s got a really nice two-year-old and would I go down to Moe,” he said.
“So I jumped in the car on Saturday morning and galloped the horse, and she’s very nice. She’s got a lot of improvement in her and is a very professional type, so it was worth it.”
Miss Roseiano’s price firmed from $34 into $8, making her the second favourite behind top elect Jacquinot for the Blue Diamond on February 26.
