Our Spitfire finishes her career with a win
Bold front running trotter Our Spitfire delivered a fairytale end to her racing career at Globe Derby Park on Saturday.
The delight of the win can be seen on the face of driver Terry Brown as the 10-year-old mare crossed the line in the Hygain Trotters Handicap (2230m).
Trained by Brown’s wife Peta at their Tee Pee Park at Bagot Well, Our Spitfire won 21 races for the stable after joining them in November 2021.
The mare was bred and is owned by Frank ‘Snow’ Weaver in New Zealand. He also bred and owned the champion mare Pride Of Petite which won the 1997 Inter Dominion Trotters Grand Final at Globe Derby Park in a race often referred to as the best trotting race seen in Australasia.
The Browns wanted the win to be her racing farewell on Saturday but confirmed it with Weaver on Sunday.
Our Spitfire ($17 into $12) exploded at the start to lead easily and was rated perfectly to win by four metres with stablemate Daisy Bouchea ($5) and No Remorse ($9.50) dead heating for second.
Brown was visibly emotional post-race.
“I love winning races, but this one is very special,” Brown said. “It brought a tear to my eye.
“I love this mare.
“She has done a fantastic job for our stable and tonight was her 21st win for us and collected more than $100,000 in stakes.
“It is the perfect way to end her racing career and now she can head to the breeding barn, and it would be wonderful if she could produce foals with her ability.
Our Spitfire started her career in New Zealand, winning three races at Cambridge before heading to Brent Lilley in Victoria and he also won three races with the mare.
Weaver decided to send her to South Australia to Ryan Hryhorec, and he gave her a few runs before she headed to Tee Pee Park.
Our Spitfire retires with 27 wins, 35 seconds and 19 thirds collecting more than $148,000 in stakes.
The mare won the majority of her races with front running performances proving very hard to run down.
For her wins for Peta Brown, Terry was in the sulky for 13 of the wins, their son Nick had seven victories with Gary Hall jnr driving her for a win at Globe Derby Park.
On Saturday, Brown had her away brilliantly from gave five to lead clearly and set a good tempo with a 62.3 second first half of the last 1600 metres coming home in 59.7 seconds and never looking likely to be caught.
Lightly-raced trotter Double Joey scored her first win in four years on Saturday in the Bargain Steel Centre Trotters Mobile (1800m).
Trained by Frank Pullicino, and driven by his wife Gaita, Double Joey’s first, and only win, had been at Bendigo in June 2022 when trained by Emma Stewart.
Winning driver Gaita Pullicino said her son Tony had purchased the mare as a birthday present when she was three-years-old.
“We decided to give her a break, and I am embarrassed to say we forgot about her out in a paddock,” Pullicino said.
“With horses coming and going, she just stayed out, until early this year when we brought her back in.
“After a long break, she has needed a few runs to get her fitness level back.”
Double Joey ($8) led throughout to win easily by 17-1/2 metres from Jilliby Bliss ($3.30 fav) with Eaglestone ($4), two metres away third.
Pullicino was impressed by the win and believes the mare can go through her grades.
“She is an intelligent mare and trots well. There is no reason why she can’t string a few wins together.”
Improving mare Kittycat Cutie made it two wins in a row with an easy all-the-way victory in the Kevin & Kay Seymour Pace (1800m).
A red hot $1.22 favourite, the four-year-old mare never gave backers any cause for concern winning by 10-1/2 metres from Lord Verde ($71) with Rocknroll Yankee ($18) a nose away third.
Trained by Jill Neilson & Katie Wilson, Kittycat Cutie has now won seven of her 25 starts with 10 placings but appears to be racing in the best form of her career.
“She was never quite right last time in work,” Wilson said.
“We gave her a good break and her form this time in has been great and she won well tonight.”
Leading reinsman Wayne Hill was in the sulky and said he had no concerns once she was able to make use of gate one and lead comfortably.
“I had good early quarters, and she sprinted strongly over the final 400 metres,” Hill said.
“I never asked her for a supreme effort, and she still ran strongly through the line.”
- Story Graham Fischer
- Photo Walter Bulyga