First-season sire Wordsmith moved off the mark when Geegees Red Rock won the Hygain Maiden Plate (900m) at Devonport on Sunday.
Geegees Red Rock (2g Wordsmith – Shanassi by Nassipour ) is trained by Leon Wells for owner-breeders Paul and Elizabeth Geard. The gelding started a $1.40 favourite after an unluckily second in Hobart on November 25. He raced greenly after striking interference that day and was only beaten a nose by Grand Tycoon.
Geegees Red Rock made a few mistakes again on Sunday but jockey Steve Maskiell was able to settle him behind front-running filly Comsuadi before ranging up in the straight to win by a neck. “He did a good job and will be a very nice horse in six months,” Wells said on Monday morning. “He stood in the gates and still did a bit wrong yesterday but I was very pleased with the way he finished the race off.
“He has pulled up a treat and will back up again next Sunday before going out for a spell,” Wells added.
“Wordsmith is leaving lovely types and he will make it as a sire if the others are anything like my bloke.”
Paul and Elizabeth put a lot of money into racing and they deserve all the success that comes their way.”
The Geards stand Wordsmith at their Broadmarsh farm for a $2,500 service fee. He is a son of Testa Rossa and was a G3 winner of the 2007 VRC The Debonair at Flemington.
Geegees Red Rock is also the first winner for his NZ bred dam Shanassi who won six races around Victoria’s north-east provincial circuit. The mare transferred to Tasmania after changing hands for $5,000 at the 2005 Inglis Melbourne June Sale.
The Geards name all their horses ‘Geegees’ and they completed a winning double at Devonport with Gee Gee’s La Quita in the James Boags Golden Mile.
She was saluting for the first time since the Tasmanian Thousand Guineas in February.
Gee Gee’s La Quita (Atlantis Prince) is a younger half-sister to Tasmanian Horse of the Year Geegees Blackflash (Clangalang). He won a second Conquering Stakes last Wednesday and is being set to defend his G3 Hobart Cup crown in February.
Their dam La Quita (Grand Lodge) has visited Wordsmith for the last three years. Her 2yo is a filly named Geegees Velvet and the mare followed up with another filly before foaling a colt in September.
The Geegees will keep coming this season. There have been 10 Wordsmith two year-olds registered so far and they all sport the Geegees prefix.
Words by Nick Hay – Tasbreeders