Impeccably-bred colt Spirit And Fire flaunted his class at Canterbury on Wednesday with a fine debut win.
The Team Hawkes trained colt by More Than Ready started an odds on favourite on the strength of impressive trials and justified his short odds when he rallied for a promising win under Tommy Berry.
“He had a lap full on horse on the corner and then dug deep in the straight.”
Spirit And Fire is a son of the G2 Silver Slipper Stakes winner Amelia’s Dream, the brilliant Redoute’s Choice filly who had to be retired prematurely due to injury.Her racing career was cut short after she won her only two starts by a combined total of 15 lengths in near record times.
Amelia's Dream is also the dam of the stakes-placed three-time winner Better Land, by Shamardal.Spendthrift Farm’s American owner B. Wayne Hughes paid $700,000 for Spirit And Fire him as a yearling in the hope that he can develop into a worthy stud prospect.
“Spendthrift have been very patient after entrusting us with such nice colts like this one,” Hawkes said.“He’s still learning. We haven’t been in a rush and there’s plenty of improvement to come.
“Thanks to Spendthrift’s Australian team. We will be seeing lots more winners in their colours.”Victorian-based Spendthrift Farm will stage a stallion parade on Saturday week at the Romsey farm, parading Hampton Court, Jimmy Creed and Warrior’s Reward.
Spendthrift Farm’s stallion parade coincides with the appearance of its star American colt Tom’s Ready in the G1 King’s Bishop Stakes at Saratoga.Also by More Than Ready, Tom’s Ready was purchased by Spendthrift principal B Wayne Hughes as a shuttle sire prospect after his last start win in the G2 Woody Stephens Stakes at Belmont Park in New York.
Champion dual-hemisphere sire More Than Ready has returned to Australia to cover his 32nd consecutive book of mares.Now a 19 year-old, More Than Ready’s longevity as a sire covering books in both hemispheres each year is unrivalled.
