Spirit Of St Louis stamped himself as the horse of the summer with a stunning PETstock Ballarat Pacing Cup win, showing speed early and late to claim an unforgettable edition of the $110,000 classic.
Having arrived in Victoria a tick over a fortnight ago with a reputation as the number three in Belinda McCarthy’s powerful stable, the just-turned five-year-old has teamed with 20-year-old reinsman Jack Callaghan to add the Ballarat crown to the Shepparton and Bendigo cups won in previous weeks.
It’s an amazing haul and the Group 1 win, the second of Callaghan’s young career, will have Spirit Of St Louis among the leading contenders in the February 5 Del-Re National A. G Hunter Cup, the ultimate prize in Victorian trots.
“It’s pretty cool,” Callaghan told TrotsVision. “I won a (Group 1) a couple of years ago but it was definitely not the prestige of this. This is what you dream of as a kid.
“I believed in the horse. He had to do it a bit different than I thought at the start but I knew how good he is and he proved it tonight.”
The Ballarat Cup was action packed throughout with Spirit Of St Louis holding off an early challenge from Max Delight before ceding the lead to favourite Lochinvar Art.
Written By Michael Howard and Tim O’Connor
