Spotlight puts his name up in lights
Talented squaregaiter Spotlight is proving he is perfectly named.
The seven-year-old, now trained at Angle Vale by Symon Kittel, won his second race from his past three starts at Globe Derby Park on Saturday.
A well backed $2.25 favourite and driven by Gaita Pullicino, Spotlight raced away to an 11-metre victory in the Pastor Stephen USA @ Llowalong Farm Trotters Mobile (2230m) beating Ima Destroyer ($12) with Twixten ($2.60), 15 metres away third.
The race was the first heat of a feature which will culminate in a $14,000 Final (2230m) at Globe Derby Park on Monday, February 10.
Spotlight’s story is interesting.
The seven-year-old was bred and is owned by David and Glenda Battye’s Buckland Park Homestead and was sent to race in Victoria with champion trainer Brent Lilley.
Spotlight started race in April 2021 and won four races for Lilley, the last two in succession in February and March in 2023 but was then turned out for a spell.
Lilley then contacted Battye and said the gelding was on a float home.
“It definitely caught me by surprise,” Battye said.
“I thought the horse was on the improve and Brent didn’t really offer a reason why he was sending him back.
“He had another break with me, and I then contacted Jeremy Seal who has trained horses for me, but he didn’t have the time to get Spotlight back to fitness and the horse went to Symon.”
Kittel, a shift worker on the wharves at Outer Harbor, said he had been surprised just how long it had taken to have Spotlight ready to race again.
“When I finally had him ready to race, he was very slow away and would gallop,” Kittel said.
“I have kept tinkering around with his gear but found that his feet were a big issue, and I have to thank my farrier David Quirk for getting them right.
“I only have four or five horses in work at any one time and I believe Spotlight has also appreciated the individual attention.
“My friend David Cappelluti often comes round to help with the horses and it nothing for him to keep brushing Spotlight for a half hour, and he loves it.
“I also think using Gaita to drive has been a key as she has soft hands while I am a lot former with the reins.”
On Saturday, Pullicino allowed Spotlight to balance up early then allowed him to trot around to sit outside the leader Twixten before increasing the tempo with 1200 metres to run, and she sent him clear with 400 metres to go.
Spotlight quickly established a good lead, and although getting tired late, held on for a comfortable.
The gelding rated 2:02.2 in his win while Alleyes, the winner of the second heat, rated 2:03.0.
The Fast As The Wind USA @ Wingate Farm Trotters Mobile (2230m) was a triumph for arguably, South Australia’s most in-form trainer Sam Hill.
Hill trained her first treble at Globe Derby Park on the previous Wednesday, then came up with a double at the same venue on Saturday.
Alleyes ($6.50) scored a two-metre win from Brookies Babe ($3.50 fav) with stablemate Saint Sebastian ($12) a long neck away third.
Hill will now have three runners in the $14,000 final – Twixten, Alleyes and Saint Sebastian.
Her other winner at the meeting was the improving Stereophonic, victor in the Eco-Wise Plumbing Group Pace (2230m).
A $3.60 chance, Stereophonic, also driven by Hill, scored an all-the-way 4-1/2 metre win from Star Of Willoughby ($2.30 fav) with Amys Baby Angel ($5), nine metres away third.
The six-year-old came into Hill’s stable late last year and the trainer wasn’t convinced he was giving his all and started changing his head gear.
She believes she has now found the key to having the gelding wanting to race,
Stereophonic was a good fourth two starts back, then came from well back to win last Wednesday before backing up with his all-the-way win on Saturday.,
Although tending to over-race during the event he was still much too good for his rivals.
The training partnership of Jill Neilson and Katie Wilson landed a Globe Derby Park double courtesy of Just Mocha and Honeybun.
Just Mocha ($5), driven by Wayne Hill, led throughout in The Globe Bar & Gaming Southern Cross Pace (1800m) to score by a short half head from Classic Line ($2 fav) with Lil Miss Crocker ($41), four metres away third.
The winner was bred and is owned by Neilson in partnership with her 90-year-old mother Elma West.
“It was a bit too hot to bring Mum tonight, but I know she will have been home cheering at the television,” Neilson said.
Just Mocha’s dam Café Au Lait has been a wonderful producer with Just Cappy and Just Chai being other prolific winners.
“I couldn’t get Just Chai to do her best this time in and gave her to Dani Hill to train, and she got a win wither last week, so it is all good.
“I have a Sweet Lou filly out of Café Au Lait being broken in at present and she has just foaled another filly by Rock N Roll Heaven, making her a full sister to Just Mocha.”
Dani Hill drove Honeybun to success in the Ladbrokes Bet Ticker Pace (2645m).
The two favourites Franco Landry ($2.90) and Delightful Tammy ($2.80 fav) shared the front and set a good tempo while Hill took the trail on Honeybun ($4.40) behind the former which had the inside.
The leaders tested each other with a 27.8 second third quarter with Franco Landy looking to take an advantage turning for home.
But Honeybun, with her perfect run, was able to use the sprint lane in a final quarter of 28.5 seconds to dash through and win by two metres.
It was the mare’s first win since the end of November, but she had been racing well, and the victory was well deserved.
Trainer-driver Dean Girardi, who drove second-placed Franco Landry, went one better in the following event, the Team Teal Blue Hearts Fundraiser Pace (1800m) leading throughout on Rocknroll Gronk.
Having just his second start for the Angle Vale trainer, Rocknroll Gronk ($6) scored a half head win from the fast-finishing Lildabldooya ($9) with My Ultimate Flynn ($3.10), a head away third.
- Graham Fischer
- Photo: Walter Bulyga
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