Odds-on to reach Team Teal milestone

IT’S been said before, but simply has to be said again out loud (or in caps) TAKE A BOW AUSTRALASIA’S LEADING LADIES.

As the Teal Pant Campaign heads into its final 24 hours, reinswoman across the southern hemisphere are preparing for a massive onslaught in search of a triple century.

After last night’s racing, Team Teal has won an incredible 285 races, earning a phenomenal $92,400 for ovarian cancer research.

Between February 1 and tomorrow night’s Australian Female Drivers’ Championship night in Tasmania, each reinswoman is sporting a pair of special teal racing pants to raise awareness and valuable funds for ANZGOG – Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group.

Money is donated by the various state governing bodies, certain racing clubs and betting agencies, for each win the women complete.

Guaranteed nine wins in Launceston as part of the invitational series, the ‘girls’ need an additional six victories this weekend.

The crew will contest 49 of 64 TAB races tonight and 37 of 51 tomorrow – not including the Australian Reinswomen Championship.

Victorian ambassador Jodi Quinlan has so much faith in the teal squad she believes a market relating to 300 wins should be opened so punters can “put their house on it.”

“I’m not a betting person, but if I were, I’d say we are odds-on,” Quinlan said. “Surely between the teal girls we can get six winners.

“I don’t like my chances at Melton tonight, but this is racing and if in it, you’ve always got a chance even it’s an upset.”

Teal Pants time is a period close to Quinlan’s heart as her mother, Cheryl, is one of the rare survivors of the dreaded condition, which has a heartbreakingly high mortality rate.

It is estimated almost 1600 Australian women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year, with 66.25 per cent expected to lose their battle.

“Ovarian cancer really is one of the silent killers,” Quinlan said. “The death rate is so high, a lot higher than it should be.

“But it doesn’t have to be a death sentence. If we can assist in fundraising research to find an early detection device it would be a terrific result in improving the survival rate.

“To have every reinswoman in Australasia involved in this quest is beyond amazing.

“Everyone involved, from the drivers, trainers, owners to the people behind the scenes doing all the organising, you should all feel proud of the difference you are helping create.

“One thing I am sure of, like a woman fighting with every ounce of strength she has against ovarian cancer, every reinswoman in Australia will be battling hard to get to 300 be the end of the weekend.”