A perfectly-timed Willie Pike ride made all the difference when She’s Hot delivered a last-stride victory in the Coral Resort Bakery Maiden (1200m) at Pinjarra on Saturday.
She’s Hot (Hellbent) was giving Call Me Frosty (Snippetson) and Satin Bow (Patronize) a half-dozen lengths into the straight and Pike saved every inch of ground along the rails to reel in the tearaway leaders.
Bosun (Gingerbread Man) also closed in late but Pike’s filly prevailed by a short half-head at her first run back following an eight-month spell. She went out a $2.50 favourite on the strength of an autumn campaign comprising a close second to Good As Hell (Dirty Work) on debut at Belmont and a three-length midfield finish behind Talkanco (I’m All The talk) in the G3 Gimcrack Stakes at Ascot.
She’s Hot is trained by Dan Morton and races for a partnership managed by his wife Carol. She was purchased by part-owner Idan Young for $160,000 at the 2024 Perth Magic Millions Yearling Sale and that price-tag represented a profitable mark-up for her Westbury Park breeders Phil and Lindy Ibbotson.
The Pinjarra-based couple had purchased her dam Heritage Lane (Charge Forward) in foal to Hellbent for $70,000 from Yarraman Park at the 2022 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale and She’s Hot is her sixth winner from six live foals. The best of them to date has been her older full-sister Fire Lane (Hellbent) who won the 2022 Max Lees 2YO Classic (900m) at Newcastle before adding further wins at Randwick and Warwick Farm for trainer Brad Widdup.
There’s a dozen black-type performers under her USA-bred second-dam Laurel Avenue (Avenue Of Flags) who won the 1997 LR Lassie Stakes at Emerald Downs in Seattle. Heritage Lane has a PPT to Westbury Park resident A Lot (USA) and Phil Ibbotson has entered five A Lot yearlings among an overall draft of 15 lots for the Perth Magic Millions in February.
