Black Billie Gee – the back story to that name

Black Billie Gee – the back story to that name

Rob Courtney

Jim Geary has been involved in the harness racing game for nearly 50 years and although now pushing 80, has always enjoyed his time researching the pedigrees and studbook families, hoping to get that good racehorse.

“I get told off a fair bit for spending so much time on the computer,” he quipped.

The Geary family (uncles & cousins included) were heavily involved as owners back in the 60’s & 70’s and the silks proudly worn by driver Sarah O’Reilly last Friday at Addington stem from that family involvement back in those times.

Jim confirmed they had won a few races going back but nothing too major and perhaps William Gees Legacy (American Ideal – Sonjador) was one of their better horses in recent times when trained by Stephen McNally. He won once in only 3 starts before getting sold to Australia where he has won another 7 with 12 placings in just 31 starts to date.

He was named after Jim Geary’s father.

Billie Jean, dam of Black Billie Gee and also by American Ideal was the first mare in his ownership that managed to get into the winner’s circle.

She had been bred by prominent Canterbury breeders Ken & Ann-Marie Spicer but after breeding her dam, the well credentialled Divine (Christian Cullen – Soky’s Sunday), to a number of commercial stallions for only mediocre results, she was moved on.

Then, as fate would have it, Woodlands stud finally struck the jackpot when on her 11^th (& last) foaling. Divine produced Aardiebytheseaside who of course won last season’s NZ Oaks and has now had the 8 wins on her way to earning $220k.

This is the family that was really set alight by Tabella Beth and her daughters by Soky’s Atom that have left the likes of millionaire pacers in Lazarus, Self Assured & Spirited Of St Louis.

Geary had Billie Jean win once in 16 starts (trained by McNally & before that a young Jack Harrington) before she was retired to the broodmare paddock. He then went to work with his research and came up some stallion choices before settling upon Fear The Dragon.

Domiciled at Nevele R, he felt sure his mare was having a filly and was going to name it after his grandmother Annie Black but had to quickly rethink when Billie Jean (nick named Billie) successfully delivered a boy.

The ‘Black’ was retained in the name and the colt from a mare called Billie with a reference to the family name Gee (Geary) was so named.

“He got quite sick in his first week of life after picking up a bug at stud and at one stage was looking likely to be put down but we soldiered on even though he was quite small to start with,” Geary shared.

“We were quite surprised that he eventually grew to the size he is today and still is rather immature physically so we are hopeful that once he grows into his frame he will be even better.”

With McNally beginning to focus on his ‘shoeing’ business, it was an easy transition to the Brent/Tim White stable in Ashburton whom McNally had done a lot of raceday driving for previously.

Both stables had a good opinion of the horse from the start and while he qualified back in November 2023, a couple of minor setbacks delayed his debut to May of this year when he ran a very brave 2^nd to the promising Radha in a 1:59MR at Rangiora.

The next 2 runs offered some excuses for the 2 unplaced efforts and he was let go by punters last Friday paying $21 for those that stayed loyal.

Last most of the way after tangling briefly at the start, he quickly got up to challenge at the 400m and after hitting the front on straightening, stuck on bravely to keep out the favourite Bad Habits.

Billie Jean, the broodmare, was leased out after that first foaling and had a colt by Betting Line, now getting educated in the lower North Island.

Back with the Gearys, she was served by Lazarus in the 2023 season but missed getting in foal.

With no land of his own and paying a premium for grazing & agistment, and taking into account his age bracket, Jim Geary stated that Billie Jean had again been passed on, but he’s hoping that his latest winner can keep the candle burning for a good while yet.