NEXT year’s Chariots Of Fire at Menangle will be the main aim for exciting new pacer Gods Spirit.
The New Zealand-bred gelding made his Australian debut at Menangle on Tuesday leading all the way and rating the mile in 1:51.0.
Trainers Shane and Lauren Tritton could not contain their excitement when the son of Tintin In America produced his final two quarters in 26.9 and 26.5 seconds.
That was Gods Spirit’s second start.
“He just has untapped potential,” said Shane.
“It’s been a long time coming, we’ve worked him right up from a spell and we’ve pretty much known he’s been good from day one so it’s been pretty hard to hold him back.
“But it’s good to get the first one out of the way and look forward to things to come.”
This victory made Gods Spirit the fastest three-year-old in Australia for the season, eclipsing Ignatius’ winning time in the Alabar Breeders Challenge Final by three-tenths of a second.
“I’m very aware that there are a lot of horses in his so called category like Ignatius, so if he’s going to be really good he’s going to find stiff competition but I’m very excited,” said Shane.
“He’s one of the purist speed horses I’ve ever trained, it will be interesting to see what he does when he is fully wound up.”
Gods Spirit made his racing debut in New Zealand last December, where he won at Manawatu in a mile rate of 2:03.8.
And Tuesday was his first race start since then.
“One of the things the owner said is give this horse time, he could be pretty special and we’ve done that and he was 100 per cent right,” said Shane.
“He’s very exciting and we’re just trying to not get too ahead of ourselves.”
The Chariots Of Fire is the only race earmarked for this impressive pacer at this stage.
“The Chariots is the only one we’re aiming at, the rest of it is just him trying to learn how to race,” said Shane.
“He’ll predominately stay at Menangle and race over the miles which he relaxed quite well today (Tuesday) which he hasn’t done a lot of his career.
“If he can relax that maybe opens a few more doors.
“Today was good just to see him get to the track and do what we thought he could do.”
Team Tritton will be keeping a close eye on some of Gods Spirit’s potential rivals this Saturday in Semi-Finals of the Breeders Crown in Victoria.
The likes of Colt Thirty One and The Black Prince will clash in one of the qualifiers at Bendigo while Ignatius and Poster Boy will go head-to-head in the other.
AMANDA RANDO | MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER