Pearce Racing and Yarradale Stud enjoyed a weekend to remember when veteran Gingerbread Man gelding Ginger Baker won the LR South West Cup (2200m) at Bunbury on Sunday.
It had been five years and a day since the Pearce Racing-trained mare Essential Spice launched a withering late burst to win the LR Beaufine Stakes (1000m) for Yarradale sire Gingerbread Man.
Ginger Baker (Photo / Western Racepix) is the 8th black-type winner by Gingerbread Man and fellow veteran Fear The Wind (Fiorente) finished third. “That was a nice result for the stable,” Pearce Racing posted on Facebook. “They’re both old boys and it was great to see them perform so well in testing conditions.
“It was also particularly pleasing to get Ginger Baker over the line for his first win in our care!”
Ginger Baker was previously prepared by Vern Brockman to win 9 races in 51 starts and the first victory for Ben and Dan Pearce sent his earnings through $600,000 for Greenfields Lodge owner-breeder Tony Patrizi.
He had been Group 3 placed in the last two editions of the Strickland Stakes on wet tracks and relished the heavy conditions for an on-pace victory with his regular rider Brad Parnham doing the honours for the 7th time.
Ginger Baker is one of three winners from Spring Violet (Encosta de Lago) who won twice on the Gold Coast for trainer John Morrisey. She is a half-sister to South African Stakes winner Diamond King (More Than Ready) and their dam Salsa (O’Reilly) won a LR Winter Championship Final at Flemington.
Patrizi went back and bred a Gingerbread Man yearling filly and filly foal from Spring Violet and the yearling was a $75,000 buy for Neville Parnham from the Greenfields consignment to this year’s Perth Magic Millions.
Another Gingerbread Man with designs on the 3yo filly features in the spring is the Dan Morton-trained Perfect Sister. She won on debut for Greenfields Lodge at Ascot in April and buttered up a week later to finish midfield in the G2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m).
Yarradale will stand Gingerbread Man (Shamardal) for a $5,500 service fee (inc GST) this year. For bookings or further information, contact stud manager Davy Hanratty on 0429 326 904.
