Holt Leads the Way as Women Train the Cluden Card

Townsville’s Georgie Holt played a starring role in a clean sweep of Saturday’s Cluden Park race card by female trainers.

The young mother of two admitted to being completely surprised with a winning treble on a day that again showed women are rising to the top in North Queensland racing.

Holt’s winning streak started with Let’s Go Bobby in the Open Hcp (1000m), followed by Muzzletop in the 3yo Mdn (1200m) and Hit Snooze in the Bm 65 Hcp (1200m).

Fellow Cluden trainer Sarah Acornley quinellaed the first and premiership leader Sharlee Hoffman and Kayla Russell completed the rout with a winner each.

A delighted Holt said the treble had come when she and her husband Aiden had least expected it.

“I’m absolutely stoked with a treble and to be part of a day like that,” Holt said.

“I was really happy for Sarah as well to quinella the first which was a big result.

“To be honest to get a treble was a complete shock.

“We thought Let’s Go Bobby was our best chance but she’d find the trip too short first up against horses like Ahwahneechee.

“We’ve had 16 to 20 horses in work and it’s been a very lean run for us.

“It was making us think is it worth it.  People have been telling us that everyone gets a turn on the wheel but we were starting to think we’d missed our turn.

“We just kept persevering and luckily everything just came together for us. All of our horses ran good races.”

A decision by Brisbane-based jockey Nathan Day to stay in Townsville over the Christmas-New Year break was a big factor in the Holt’s treble.

The in-demand Day rode work for Holt over the break and was booked early to guide Let’s Go Bobby to her barnstorming win and to lift Muzzletop to a narrow win in the following race for a winning double.

Carl Spry completed the treble for the Holt stable with a heady front-running ride on Hit Snooze who he has won on before.

To cap a big day, Spry’s wife Sarah Acornley quinellaed the 2yo Hcp (1000m) with Red Hot Poker and Altar Boy.

The two stablemates both came with a late surge to hit the line together, but top jockey Justin Stanley got enough from Red Hot Poker to win by a half-head.

Sharlee Hoffman teamed with stable rider Lacey Morrison to land yet another Cluden winner with Bonython in the Maiden Hcp (1000m).

The win increased their respective leads in the trainers and jockeys premierships.

Charters Towers trainer Kayla Russell and jockey Masayuki Abe combined to win the Class 1 Hcp (1400m) with the improving Miss Fubulicious.

Pictured: The Holt team with their third winner for the day, Hit Snooze.

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