Trainer Ryan Hill had winning form on the board going into the Albany meeting on Thursday but he was the odd man out when the girls dominated the Jack’s Rest Maiden (1100m).

In a full-blooded battle between three feisty 3yo fillies, the Hill-trained Gingerbread Girl (Gingerbread Man) wasn’t to be denied after squeezing through a slender gap between Lady Coco (Lucky Street) and Desert Madame (Rommel).

There was no quarter given or asked by the female jockeys, either, with Hill’s partner Victoria Corver banking the winning percentage ahead of Madi Derrick and Tash Faithfull.

“We are so thrilled to see Gingerbread Girl break through at just her third career start,” Keysbrook-based Hill posted on Facebook.  “Forcing her way through a narrow opening and finishing off strongly at the post.  And we couldn’t be more happy for the owners Greenfields Lodge and Yarradale Stud.”

The head-on vision also revealed it was no place for the faint-hearted.  “Gingerbread Girl improved into restricted room approaching the 200m,” Albany stewards reported.  “Raced tightly with another runner, making contact approaching the 100m.”

Gingerbread Girl was backed confidently into a $2.40 favourite in the Great Southern.  She had won a Pinjarra barrier trial in January but pulled up shin-sore after a first-up loss at Bunbury last month.

Yarradale Stud resident Gingerbread Man (Shamardal) sired her from 2016 Bunbury Classic (1000m) winner I Am Boudica (War Chant) who was also placed in that year’s G2 Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) won by Samovare (Savabeel).

I Am Boudica followed up with a 2yo colt and weanling colt by Playing God for Greenfields Lodge and Yarradale.  Second-dam Queen’s Gem (Hussonet) is a half-sister to stakes winners Anacarde (Anabaa) and How About That (Honour And Glory).

Hill has trained the winners of five races in the last week or two and Gingerbread Girl was the second-leg of a double at Albany.  He’s on the road again this Sunday although it’s not nearly as far as Keysbrook to Narrogin where he will saddle up four stablemates including last-start Pingrup winner Berry Berry Good (Capitalist) in the WA Careers In Racing Hcp (1190m).

Gingerbread Girl and Victoria Corver win a three-way photo-finish  / Photo Western Racepix