In Brief
- Five winners and it could have been seven with some luck.
- Hard work paying dividends for Team Wells.
- Leon Wells says Gee Gee True Story has potential to be a very good galloper.
It was a huge weekend for Team Wells in Devonport and Launceston with the father and two-son combination producing five winners over the two days.
Dean and Trent Wells manage the Spreyton stable while their father Leon takes care of the Brighton operation that deals only with horses owned and bred by Paul and Elizabeth Geard.
On Friday Dean and Trent were responsible for a treble courtesy of wins by Paint the Stars in a maiden over 1350m, Schazem in a class 1 (1009m) and Geegees First Lady led throughout to win a BM74 over 1880m.
Apprentice Scarlet So partnered two of those winners (Schazem and Geegee First Lady) while Craig Newitt was aboard Paint the Stars.
In Launceston on Saturday Daniel Ganderton delivered another top ride to secure victory for Geegees Rock Opera in a maiden-class one over 1600m for Dean and Trent and Brendon McCoull teamed up with Gee Gee True Story to win a benchmark 74 handicap over 1200m for Leon’s stable at Brighton.
“It’s been a great two days but it could have been even better had a bit of luck gone the way of a couple of our other runners,” Dean Wells said.
“The team is going really well at the minute and we are being rewarded for the hard work that goes into preparing the team.”
Paint the Stars, formerly prepared in Victoria by Shawn Mathrick, started at $6.50 which was surprisingly lavish, given his solid interstate form prior to Friday’s outing, which was his first in the state.
“He’s a nice horse that will do quite well over here in Tassie,” Dean Wells said.
Schazem has been a good money spinner for her owners as she has won two and been placed four times from only a dozen starts for just over $35,000 in stakes and each time she has won or placed the four-year-old has been double figure odds or close to.
Geegees First Lady made it back-to-back wins when she led throughout to take out the last race of the day on Friday.
While the four-year-old mare was starting to feel the pinch at the end of the 1880-metre event she was courageous and refused to wilt when challenged strongly by placegetters Geegee Blackprince and Wineglass Bay.
On Saturday Geegees Rock Opera ($7.50) scored an overdue win when he powered home with Ganderton aboard to score a convincing win over San You and Le Monde de Lucas.
The four-year-old mare has placed or finished no further back than fourth from her 10 starts this time in.
The win of Gee Gee True Story ($3.60) was impressive with Leon Wells suggesting the gelded son of Wordsmith could measure up to weight-for-age class next season.
“I am really keen to step him up to 1400 metres this preparation but it won’t be in weight-for-age races this season,” Leon said.
“We have been patient with this horse and that will continue because I believe he has the potential to be very, very good if we look after him.”
Watch Geegees Rock Opera score an impressive win in Launceston on Saturday.