The much-heralded WA debut of former New South Wales pacer Spitfire did not disappoint with the four-year-old revealing his class with a strong victory in the $21,000 Hoist Torque Australia Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Spitfire, a winner of six races at Penrith from his 23 NSW appearances, is bred to be a star. He is by American sire Betting Line and is the sixth foal out of Art Major mare Lady Euthenania, the dam of outstanding performers Max Delight and Major Delight.
Major Delight was a brilliant mare who raced 29 times for 22 wins, four placings and $729,122 in prizemoney. Four of her successes were in group 1 feature events.
Max Delight amassed $1,492,374 in stakes from 37 wins and 51 placings from 156 starts. He won group 1 events as a three-year-old in 2019, scoring in the New South Wales Derby at Menangle and the Breeders Crown for colts and geldings at Melton before winning the group 1 Victoria Cup at Bendigo in October 2021.
Spitfire, having his first start since finishing sixth in the group 1 Breeders Challenge at Menangle on October 25, was produced in fine fettle by Ravenswood trainer Jocelyn Young for Friday night’s race in which he was a warm $1.70 favourite from his wide draw at barrier No. 8.
Young sent Spitfire forward soon after the start and the four-year-old quickly moved to the breeze with $9.50 chance Vinita Rose setting the pace and making life difficult for her pursuers by sprinting over the middle 400m sections in 28.6sec. and 28.2sec.
Spitfire covered the final quarter in 29.4sec. after hitting the front about 270m from home and winning by a half-length from a defiant Vinita Rose, with Dourado ($6) running home gamely from eleventh at the bell to be third, more than three lengths adrift of Vinita Rose.
Spitfire’s win was his first in a metropolitan-class event, and it improved his record to 24 starts for seven wins, five placings and $58,678.
“I expected Spitfire would have to do it tough from his wide draw, and he did,” said Young. “He raced against good company in Sydney, and I’m hoping he will measure up to run in the feature events for four-year-olds later in the year.”
Spitfire is owned by Peter Gianni, the owner of two gold mining companies in Kalgoorlie, and his wife Sue, and they have enjoyed considerable success with several of their pacers who have been trained and driven by Young and her younger sister Madeleine.
The Gianni-owned pacers have included Mister Ardee, Isaiah Artois, Mein Guy, Rockyourbaby, Caberneigh, Castella Dellacqua and Insta Gator.
The indefatigable Mister Ardee earned $371,834 from 32 wins 72 placings from 251 starts. Kim Young, father of Jocelyn and Madeleine, won twice with Mister Ardee, with Jocelyn also winning two races with him, and Madeleine showing the way with 18 victories.
Isaiah Artois had nine wins from 26 WA starts and they included the Pearl Classic for two-year-olds in June 2014; Mein Guy won twelve times in WA; 18 of Rockyourbaby’s 22 wins were in WA; Kabochon’s 15 WA starts have produced six wins and five placings; Castella Dellacqua was retired last year after racing 31 times for seven wins and six placings; and Insta Gator (nine wins and 11 placings from 37 starts) and Caberneigh (13 starts for four wins and five placings) should win many more races
