Former exciting harness racing youngster Resurgent Spirit has taken a while to recapture his best form, but he did it in style at Devonport last night when leading throughout the $30,000 Raider Stakes final over 2665 metres.
Resurgent Spirit equalled Halwes’ record for the most number of consecutive wins (13) as a two and three-year-old, but a trip to Victoria last year led to the gelding contracting a virus, which combined with a knee injury, all but ended the back end of his three-year-old campaign.
His road to recovery has not been smooth either, but owner-trainer-breeder Roger Whitmore has left no stone unturned in his quest to rejuvenate his stable star’s career.
The son of American Ideal had shown a glimpse of his best form leading up to the futurity, and despite finishing second to Le Premiere in their heat a week earlier, punters were keen to invest when the gelding drew the pole position in the Final.
Driver James Austin urged Resurgent Spirit forward at the start to find the lead, and once settled, he was never in danger of defeat.
Resurgent Spirit hit the line over 10 metres clear of Chirac, which had enjoyed the run of the race in the one-one, with outsider Le Wi Bulent third nine metres away.
Covering the last half in 59.2 seconds, Resurgent Spirit rated 2:00.9, slicing two-tenths of a second off Devendra record established in last season’s edition of the feature.
“He had a niggling knee injury and then he went to Melbourne and contracted a virus, so you pretty much have to write off his three-year-old season even though he won a few races,” Whitmore said.
“I knew I had him right for this race because I took his heart rate after he came off the training track at New Norfolk through the week and it was only 66 and by the time I’d washed him down it had dropped to 45.
“I knew then that I couldn’t have him any better, but I still thought he’d have to draw well to win the race because the draw is everything on the Devonport track.”
Whitmore has no specific plans in mind Resurgent Spirit for the remainder of the season.
“I haven’t looked beyond the Raider Stakes because this was his main mission this time in,” Whitmore said.
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PETER STAPLES