Jewel victory provides a sweet kiss for Holt stable

By Jordan Gerrans

There have been much more meaningful and higher profile victories in Georgie Holt’s time in racing but the Townsville conditioner recorded the greatest prize money win of her emerging training career on Saturday.

She did so when progressive filly Sweet Kisses led from start to finish in the QTIS Northern 3YO Jewel for 2024.

The purse for the annual feature event was $105,000 with $61,000 going the way of Sweet Kisses’ connections while the $20,500 for second went the way of stable mate Ready To Pardon.

The Holt team have developed into a force in North Queensland racing by winning the Cluden Park premiership, the Pallarenda Stakes, among other feature races, and regularly being competitive in big Cup races over carnival.

It was Holt first and second past the post in the 1400 metre event on Saturday but there was never any doubting who of their runners would be getting the cash as Sweet Kisses bolted in by more than four lengths.

The Holt stable mates were the heavyweights in the betting pre-race and that was how it played out at Cannon Park. 

The Better Than Ready filly had won two of her last four before Saturday’s Jewel and Holt detailed that her stable had to manage the juvenile smartly to get her to the race.

“It has just been tricky leading into this race as she has been handy right the way along but we have just had to keep her fresh and racing,” the Townsville trainer said.

“There has only been 1000 metre races around for her.

“We have known since she broke her maiden that she has wanted more ground but we have not just been able to get those races for her.

“There was a couple of runs where she may not have done her best on paper but that was purely because they were not suitable races and we needed to send her around.

“I was pretty confident that she had already raced in Cairns before – she broke her maiden up there – so the trip was no worries.

“I was unsure about the surface and how she would handle it being wet but it did not seem to be a problem for her at all.”

Holt trains alongside her husband Aidan.

The Northern Jewel rotates between the northern clubs and was won by Whistling Spirit at Rockhampton last year by the former training partnership of Ryan Tyrell and Tom Button with hoop Ryan Wiggins doing the steering.

With Guineas races held at all clubs through the upcoming Northern Queensland Winter Racing Carnival, the Holt team have a few options going forward with their four-time winning filly.

She has had seven starts this year so a break will come first before the carnival.

“We will give her a freshen up now and we will look to target her towards the Guineas up here,” Holt said.

“With her runs over 1400 metres, I can’t see the mile being a problem for her.

“We will know once we get there and we will have a throw at the stumps while she is going well enough.

“She has had a lengthy campaign so she can have a break and get her ready for that.”

Jackson Murphy had the ride of Sweet Kisses on Saturday and has been her race day partner on four times this year.

On top of the greatest prize money triumph of Holt’s training career on Saturday, she recorded another milestone, as well.

With the triumph on Sweet Kisses, Murphy became the jockey that the trainer had enjoyed the most success with since she took out her license in the 2016-17 campaign.

He has ridden 23 winners for the stable. 

The 27-year-old Murphy has surpassed Nathan Day and Ashley Butler who had ridden 21 winners each respectively for Holt.

“We have always had a pretty good run with Jackson,” she said.

“He shows every week on race day and puts in. He listens and rides to instructions.

“He may not get on the best with every horse but he tries hard. We seem to have had some luck together. It is nice to keep that relationship going.”

Holt is on track to record the strongest season of her training career in 2023-24 with 39 winners to her name so far this term.

With two months left in the season she is likely to surpass last season’s high mark of 46 victories.