Spendthrift
Australia enjoyed a debut victory at Canterbury on Wednesday with their royally
bred colt Spirit and Fire, a $700,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the draft of
Edinglassie Stud.
By champion sire More Than Ready (USA) from freakishly talented Group II STC
Silver Slipper winner Amelia's Dream, expectation has been high on Spirit and
Fire following two recent brilliant trial wins.
Prepared by Hawkes Racing, Spirit and Fire had been scheduled to race some
weeks ago but a combination of wet tracks and bad luck had deferred his debut
until today.
The wait proved worthwhile when he jumped smartly for Tommy Berry to travel on
the pace before forging clear to win the 1100 metre maiden by half a length.
"He was supposed to run in Queensland but he was fourth emergency as a
first starter – I don't know how that worked out – but we didn't get a run," said
Wayne Hawkes.
"And then he was supposed to go to a Hawkesbury maiden but that was washed
out so we had trial him in between.
"So we had to keep him up for about four weeks."
Spirit and Fire needed to show just that when he was challenged strongly and
his effort was a good one for a young inexperienced horse on the up.
"It was a good tough run. The other horse put some pressure on him a bit
too far out from home and our bloke got a little bit lost but to his credit he
dug deep and that's what good horses do," Hawkes added.
"He's a colt that's still learning and I think you'll see a better horse
in six months' time."
Spirit and Fire is a half-brother to stakes-placed Better Land and is the
second winner for Amelia's Dream, who has a yearling colt by his sire More Than
Ready and will foal again to the Vinery Stud stalwart this spring.