Racing: Gee I Jane the one to beat in Telegraph

Gee I Jane has the chance to make up for her wretched luck in the Railway at Ellerslie.

The presence of speed machines Keeninsky and Shastri mean the race is tailor-made for her.

For one of the few times in group one sprint racing a trainer wasn't getting excited about news of an inside alley yesterday.

Down Trentham's straight six, Neville Couchman was far more thrilled to see Gee I Jane get plenty of pace to chase from her seven gate in the Telegraph Handicap on Saturday.

With three-year-old speed machines Keeninsky and Shastri in the $100,000 feature, the race is now tailor-made for his stable star to make amends for her wretched Railway luck.

"Wherever she drew, she was going to get back anyway," said Couchman.

"Even if she is back worse than midfield, it wouldn't worry me. She's got the best finishing burst of any of the horses running around in New Zealand at the moment."

You only had to see her controversial Railway second placing to know that.

Couchman must have viewed it 10 times in the inquiry room on New Year's Day after rider Michael Walker carved up sixth-placed Devoted in his haste to hook Gee I Jane into the clear.

"Michael did everything I told him to in the Railway, he just got too keen when the chocolates were up for grabs," said Couchman.

"If he'd waited another two strides he would have still got up. To get up and run second after what happened was unreal.

"I still don't know how she managed to stay on her feet. If you watch the incident frame by frame, her rear end is facing the public stand at one point."

With Walker suspended until the end of the month, Couchman has called in Bruce Herd as the replacement rider on Saturday.

Herd rode Gee I Jane in her debut win at Hawera and Couchman was keen to get a rider who knew the nuances of a mare who is still learning her trade.

Couchman, however, can't believe the improvement in the Concorde winner since New Year's Day.

"Her work has been sensational, she went better than she did before the Railway this morning," he said.

"She's got to be one of the horses to beat, surely."

TAB bookies agree, with Gee I Jane a $5.50 fixed-odds favourite ahead of Keeninsky at $6.

If she runs up to expectations at Trentham, Couchman and owner Kieran McCarthy are already eyeing riches across the Tasman for Gee I Jane.

Options include The Galaxy in Sydney or a group one fillies and mares sprint in Adelaide during the autumn carnival.

* The TAB's fixed-odds markets for the ING (NZ) Limited Telegraph Handicap, $100,000, opn hcp, group one, 1200m last night were:

$5.50 Gee I Jane; $6 Keeninsky; $7 Recurring; $8 Figurinit; $14 Sedecrem; $15 Clean Sweep, Vaalu; $16 Rapid Kay, Devoted; $17 Shastri; $18 Dezigna; $20 Lamond; $22 Martique; $25 Opiki; $28 Clifton Prince; $35 The Island Storm; $40 Blue Tsunami; $50 Sunlaw; $80 Magistra Delecta.