13-hour round trip for 112.7 seconds of racing!

FOR David Kennedy the long trip to Club Menangle was a breeze!

Although he had handy mare Georgie Martin competing at the world class circuit tonight, the astute horseman elected to remain at his Narrandera base.

The task of transporting the daughter Stunin Cullen to and from the track was bestowed upon Jackson Painting, who left the stable at 10am to be at the venue in time for Georgie Martin’s race at 6.22pm.

After racing for 112.7 seconds, Georgie Martin and Jackson were ready to head home, which will see them arrive around 4am!

“Jack left at 10 this morning and won’t get back until at least 4am,” Kennedy said. “It is a 13-hour round trip as it is, but the night has been made even longer for Jack.

“He’s been kept back three hours for a post race test, which is pretty disappointing.

“Given he’s driving on his own because of the limit on people heading to the track the day is long enough for him without adding more time to it.

“I looked back at the past seven weeks of results and there have been no post race blood tests until tonight that I can see on the steward’s report…it’s a bit rude to expect people to have to be kept back for hours under these circumstances.”

On the brighter side, Georgie Martin made the ordeal worthwhile as she returned to the winners’ circle in style.

Driven by Painting, the five-year-old led from barrier five before being eased to take a trail behind the favourite Dracarys.

Angled away from the pegs at the top of the home straight, Georgie Martin sprinted to a metre-and-a-half victory from the pacemaker, with Tralee Bromac a metre-and-a-half away third.

Covering the mile in 1:52.7, Georgie Martin lowered her best time by almost three seconds much to the delight of Kennedy.

“Jack felt if she lead she would go close and then he drove her perfectly when he handed up to the favourite and got the right run,” Kennedy said.

“We’re thinking about selling her to America so I sent her to Menangle to get a quicker time next to her name, which she has done.

“I’m not sure where I will head with her next, but I will see what interest there is in her from America.”