By: Clinton Payne - Monday, January 01, 2007

It was an emotional Oliver Koolman that greeted his consistent mare Our Jetsetter in the enclosure after she stormed down the outside to win the XXXX Gold Handicap over 1200m at Randwick today.
”Last year was a bad year personally and I was one that was over the moon when the clock struck midnight last night,” Koolman said.
”My wife Karen and I lost our unborn child and it was a terrible experience.
”2007 is a new year and this was the best possible way to start.”
Our Jetsetter is lucky to be alive let alone racing after she copped a discarded shoe in the head two runs back when second behind Spinner’s Magic at Canterbury.
The shoe connected Our Jetsetter below her right eye and fractured the bone just below the eye socket.
”It was a worrying time,” Koolman said.
”It was a nasty fracture and we didn’t know if she would be able to race again and if she was what impact it was going to have on her.
”But she’s a tough thing and as you saw today it hasn’t stopped her one bit.”
Punters rallied behind Our Jetsetter in a great betting race that saw a number of horses firm late in betting.
After settling back towards the tail of the field jockey Jay Ford took the mare to the outside in the straight and she swamped her rivals over the final 100 metres to win running away.
”She is just so genuine,” said Koolman.
”When she gets a soft run she can really hit the line and reel off a fast sectional.”
”She’s still eligible for class three races so I’ll try and find another suitable one for her next.”
Our Jetsetter 53kg ($5) (J.Ford) defeated Smart And Fast 53kg ($8.50) (Z.Purton) by a length with Montgresin 56kg ($9) (K.O’Hara) another one and a quarter lengths away in third.
The race was run in class record time of 1.09.61 and the last 600m was run in a sharp 34.54.