Gingerbread Man youngster Spice Is Right led from the jump and refused to surrender when tackled by Tactics (Rommel) to win the Amelia Park Hcp (1400m) at Ascot on Anzac Day.
Spice Is Right carries the pink and blue checked colours of owner-breeder Wally Daly and appreciated the step up in distance from 1000m to 1400m under Madi Derrick to score by three-quarters of a length. He’s been nominated to get over that trip again in the G3 WA Sires’ Produce Stakes this Saturday.
Gingerbread Man (Shamardal) stands at Yarradale Stud and has a great strike-rate in the juvenile division with Achernar Star emerging from his first crop to finish a close second to Lucy Mae (Stratum) in the G2 Karrakatta Plate of 2017. His Chris Gangemi-trained youngster Ima Single Man won the G2 Karrakatta Plate of 2020 and was immediately whisked off to Hong Kong where he has won another five races and the equivalent of AUD2.25million.
“He’s been a bit dour but had a spring in his step today,” co-trainer Jake Casey said. “He was there to be beaten but toughed it out and was strong through the line.”
Derrick rates Spice Is Right highly and revealed there were excuses at his previous start when pocketed in the race won by Show The Way (Ducimus). “He’s promising and took advantage of the extra room in front. He was always travelling and is very competitive. He pinned his ears back and put his heart into it when the other horse headed us in the straight.”
Spice Is Right is the first foal of Fairview (Trade Fair) and the mare has a yearling filly by Gingerbread Man and a filly foal by Maschino. She won at Ascot for Daly as did second-dam Mireille (Husson).
Third-dam Admirable (Magic Albert) foaled Vega Magic (Lope de Vega) who was a Group 3 winner in Perth before travelling east to win twice at Group 1 level in the 2017 SAJC Goodwood Hcp and MRC Memsie Stakes for Daly and his brother George who died in 2020.
The brothers had bought into the family when paying $50,000 for fourth-dam Starglow Express (Danewin) at the 2003 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney.
An hour after the Spice Is Right breakthrough, odds-on favourite Dublin Red won the JB Contracting Maiden (1400m) in Kalgoorlie for trainer Peter Fernie and a syndicate managed by Justin Warwick. They bought her for $52,000 from Yarradale Stud at the 2022 Perth Magic Millions.
Dublin Down is a 3yo filly by former Yarradale sire War Chant (USA) and she is the first foal of Belmont winner Raise A Smile (Excites) who is from a half-sister to G2 WA Derby winner Firing Range (Kala Dancer).
