Gold Coast races: Rex Lipp eyes Jewel with Gem Of Scotland

Rex Lipp considers Gem Of Scotland to be up with the very best horses he has trained and expects her to show it this time in, starting with the QTIS 3YO Jewel on the Gold Coast.

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Rex Lipp considers Gem Of Scotland to be up with the very best horses he has trained and expects her to show it this time in, starting with Saturday’s $300,000 QTIS 3YO Jewel on the Gold Coast.

Gem Of Scotland is the $4.40 favourite with Ladbrokes, just shading The Odyssey ($4.40), Guntantes ($5) and Sugar Boom ($6.50) in a race that has drawn together some of Queensland’s best three-year-olds.

Lipp won the Group 1 Queensland Oaks in 2014 with Tinto and though Gem Of Scotland may not progress to middle distance targets, the trainer feels nothing is beyond her up to 1600m.

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Trainer Rex Lipp has big plans for Gem Of Scotland. Picture: AAP

“She’s up there with the best I’ve had,” Lipp said. “Not too many have done what she’s done at this stage of her career. Her overall record should probably be seven from nine. I hold her in very high regard. I wouldn’t be thinking of the big races I’ve got in mind otherwise.”

Gem Of Scotland was originally scheduled to run during the summer carnival, but kicked a rail at the track and Lipp decided it was a good opportunity to give her a proper break.

“There was nothing wrong and she could have even raced, but she’d never had a decent spell, so with (the Jewel) in mind and the winter carnival, I thought I’d give her a nice break, which means she can cop a bit of racing now,” he said.

Lipp is keen to get to the Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) in late April, although he is frustrated by the new program which has the Listed Princess Stakes (1600m) for the fillies only a week before.

“It doesn’t give the fillies much of a chance, or it makes it very difficult to run in both,” he said.

But first, Saturday’s 1200m Jewel looks a perfect launching pad off the back of recent barrier trial and jumpout wins.

“She’s not 100 per cent yet, but she always gives 100 per cent and she’s three out of three first up,” he said. “The (wet) track could be a bit of a worry being fresh, but she’s proven on wet ground and I have no doubt she’s going to be very competitive.”

Lipp believes Red Stina ($18) is capable of surprising first up in Race 3 on Saturday.

“She’s come back bigger and stronger and is now showing me what I thought she was capable of doing all along,” he said.

“This time she’s developed a hell of a lot. Her jumpout last Tuesday was just as impressive as the trial. She only ran a tick slower than Gem Of Scotland.

“She will be right in amongst it.”