Hunter’s trotting Gem continues to excite

Exciting harness racing juvenile Gatesys Gem (Aldebaran Eagle) has certainly created a lot of buzz ahead of Saturday night’s Group 1 On A Streak Vicbred Super Series for two-year-old trotting fillies final.

The Glenn Hunter-prepared squaregaiter has had a combined winning margin of over 28 meters in her first three starts to open the filly’s career.

The filly by Aldebaran Eagle qualified for Saturday night’s $100,000 event with a resounding 13-meter heat win at Maryborough on September 4.

“She has pulled up really well, she had a couple of days off after her last start,” Hunter said.

“She has been really wound up, so she has bounced around the paddock, but she is really good.”

The 46-year-old received the squaregaiter from prominent Victorian horseman, Michael Hughes.

“I got the horse from Michael (Hughes) and he sent it to me to break it in and then he leased it to me,” he said.

The Trafalgar-based horseman has bookmarked the Group 1 Redwood Classic as a target after Saturday night’s Group 1 event.

Hunter is no stranger to taking out the Maryborough feature. The 46-year-old took out the Group 1 event in 2010 with I See Icy Earl.

“Ideally she will head to the Redwood if she can qualify from the stand (start),” he said. “That would be our next aim, I haven’t gotten past this weekend, but that is at the back of my mind.”

The filly out of Gatesys Girl has drawn two for Saturday night’s 2240m event.

“I am happy enough (with the draw) and she gets plenty of options from it, so we can either take part in the early burn or leave everyone else to do their thing,” he said.

“We will send her around them at some point.”

The Group 1 On A Streak Vicbred Super Series for two-year-old trotting fillies final is set to go at 9.43pm.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Lachlan Mitchell, for Harness Racing Victoria