Exciting mare Our Beebee helped stave off retirement for veteran Queensland trainer Rex Lipp and he reckons she can pinch some Sydney prizemoney this campaign.
Our Beebee has won four from seven starts, including a hat-trick of wins last campaign, and has been backed from $6 to $4.20 as she resumes in Saturday's Benchmark85 Handicap at Ipswich.
The daughter of Red Dazzler is explosive when fresh, unbeaten in two first-up starts, although her get-back racing pattern is not ideal around the tight Ipswich track.
But a big plus is having the king of Ipswich Jim Byrne on board, the jockey who has won countless Ipswich premierships and knows the track like the back of his hand.
Toowoomba-based Lipp holds Our Beebee in the highest regard and having a horse of her ability has meant he has kept thoughts of retiring at the back of his mind.
He is already thinking of taking her to Sydney after her comeback run at Ipswich on Saturday.
"Her turn of foot is sensational and what she did at a jumpout recently was amazing, rounding some good horses up like they were standing still," Lipp said.
"She is a mare who just has to be ridden cold, she has to fall out of the barriers and go from there.
"It can be frustrating at times because she always needs a bit of luck, but you can't change her pattern of racing.
"She is a lovely and exceptionally talented mare and I think she will be going very close to winning on Saturday.
"I'd then be pretty keen to sneak down to Sydney with her and have a crack at a decent fillies and mares race down there."
Our Beebee never raced as a two-year-old but Lipp knew she has good ability and threw her in the Listed Gold Edition at her second race start, running third behind Winning Rupert in December last year.
A few years ago, Lipp signalled he would retire when the career of his Group I Queensland Oaks winner Tinto came to a close.
But having a talented galloper like Our Beebee gave him a fresh spring in his step and forced him to re-evaluate his future.
