A Precious Gem shines bright in Gloucester Park win

The lightly raced but promising A Precious Gem (Captain Crunch) at just her fifth race start showed she is destined for better things after darting through to take out the End Polio Three Year old fillies stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday evening.

Pitted against a talented group of fillies including the last start Pinjarra Dainty’s Daughter Pinjarra classic winner Manuka Bay who ended up a firm favourite.

A PRECIOUS GEM 24 JULY REPLAY

A Precious Gem showed enough speed to lead but then driver Dylan Egerton-Green handed over the front to the well supported Im Category Five. Meanwhile Manuka Bay trapped wide early had no option but to race outside the leader.

It was obvious a lap out that A Precious Gem would need luck to obtain a run as El Raes Girl made a sustained run around the outside the field to be three wide in the final lap.

Im Category Five was still leading on the final bend as Manuka Bay struggled to hold her place. At that point the run come for A Precious Gem and she charged through to score a convincing win over El Raes Girl who despite being three wide for the last lap continued to battle away for a gallant second just ahead of Im Category Five.

Dylan Egerton reflected after the event.

We were probably a little bit lucky. Manuka Bay looked like it sort of wandered up the track a tiny bit on the corner and give me a sniff and I just ducked through and yes she sort of done a fair bit of practice back home and my track obviously is a little bit tighter and there’s a fair bit of bump in there and so she got a bit there and yes we were just able to capitalise on the draw tonight and probably let a few of the other ones do the bullocking and use her turn of foot late.

A Precious Gem is beautifully bred out of the Bettors Delight mare Bettors Gem who won 11 races with 13 placings from 40 starts and just over $103,000 in stake money. At stud she’s also proven her worth leaving the talented pacers Swingband and Atlantic Gem. She also has a yearling colt by King Of Swing.

No doubt A Precious Gem should now be considered a chance in this year’s $150,000 West Australian Oaks on 2 October she will obviously meet tougher company with the likes of Miss Leopatra and Wishing Belle.

Although Manuka Bay weakened at the finish to run fourth she wasn’t that far from the winner and with better luck in running will be better suited next time.

By Tony Milanese for Harnesslink