Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Noted speedster Spicey Major gave a typical dashing frontrunning display to win the $50,000 The West Australian Nights Of Thunder at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he revealed improved toughness to fight off a spirited late challenge from stablemate Ventura.
“I thought Ventura had me cold half-way down the straight,” said trainer-reinsman Gary Hall Jnr. “But, to his credit, Spicey Major found a bit.”
The New South Wales-bred Spicey Major has led at each of his six wins from ten starts in Western Australia, and Hall is now anxious to get the five-year-old to race as a sit-sprinter and not to rely purely on his ability as a pacemaker.
“At home he comes from behind just fine, but he hasn’t done it here for me yet,” said Hall. “He settled better tonight than he did when he led and won a qualifying heat a week earlier.
“He is a short-course specialist and short distance racing suits him. But I would like to get him to race successfully with a sit and also over longer distances.”
Spicey Major, by champion sire Art Major, is the sixth foal out of former star mare Ima Spicey Lombo, who amassed $483,686 from 24 wins and 13 placings from 57 starts.
So far, Spicey Major has not shown that he has inherited the great staying ability of his dam, who showed her class as a stayer in January 2011 when she finished third behind Im Themightyquinn in both the 2906m Fremantle Cup and the 2506m WA Pacing Cup.
Spicey Major, the $1.80 favourite in Friday night’s feature event, was untroubled to lead from the coveted No. 1 barrier, and he reeled off 400m sections of 28.9sec., 29.8sec., 28.7sec. and 27.5sec.
Stablemate Ventura was the $5 second favourite from out wide at the No. 8 barrier. Stuart McDonald got Ventura away speedily and after racing three wide for the first 450m the six-year-old moved to the breeze and appeared a strong winning chance when he challenged Spicey Major hard in the home straight before being beaten by a half-length, with $20 chance Heavenly Wage running home stoutly into third place after trailing Spicey Major all the way.
Spicey Major improved his record to 44 starts for twelve wins, eight placings and $108,741 in prizemoney. His win gave Hall a record fifth driving success in the 19-year history of the 1730m Nights Of Thunder.
While Hall was full of praise for Spicey Major, he was delighted with Ventura’s excellent performance, saying: “He is a very nice horse, and I would say that if you had the choice between the two horses you would definitely take Ventura.”