When Alesprit had her 1st start, she ran 4th and the Stewards reported she was slow to begin, the Vet report said she was lame in the off fore
Today was a different story, Alesprit, trained by Tom Bourke and ridden by Michael Cullen jumped from barrier 1 and broke Sequalo Morn's course record of 56.47 seconds set in 2007 by .48 of a second (3 lengths), running the 1000 metres in an amazing 55.99 seconds. The other 1000 metre races were run in 58.31 and 58.12.
This Bel Esprit filly won by eleven and one quarter lengths carrying 54.5kg and started favourite at $2.60
Owned by Mr S W & Mrs D F Everingham, Alesprit is out of a Rory's Jester mare, Rory's Babe who had five starts for one win at Sandown winning $27,300. The Filly was sold at the 2007 MM National Weanling Sale Select Session, Qld (236) by Oaklands Stud to MAGIC MILLIONS (AS AGENT) for $2,000 .Belle Society is another filly out of a Rory's Jester mare, Tendency, who has won.
Alesprit shatters sprint record
Tony Mcmahon 3rd March 2009
A COURSE record was shattered while behind the scenes integrity and technical science officers swooped and swabbed as many as 50 horses in a day of sensations at Rockhampton's Callaghan Park racecourse yesterday.
Awesome juvenile filly Alesprit (Michael Cullen, $2.60) took just 55.99 seconds to thrash her rivals in the opening race of the eight-race TAB card, the $20,000 QTIS 2YO Handicap (1000m).
She smashed the track record of 56.31 seconds held by open-class sprinter King Hunter.
What's more, juvenile Bel Esprit filly Alesprit could probably have gone faster in her freakish 11.25 lengths win as she wasn't pushed right out to the finish.
“It was only a matter of her jumping on terms with the field to win. If she jumped she just wins,” trainer Tom Bourke said of Baralaba owner Sid Everingham's filly.
Pin-hooked at the 2007 Magic Millions Weanling Sale for a meagre $2000, Alesprit was bought by Everingham for $32,000 when offered as a yearling by Kerrod and Glenda Smyth's Laurel Glen Equine Nursery at last year's Capricorn Yearling Sale.
Bourke said it was now likely that Alesprit would not race again before the $119,000 Capricorn Sales Classic (1200m) at Callaghan Park on Saturday, April 4.
“We will see how she pulls up. She had a few little leg issues last campaign but she is over them now,” he said.
At Alesprit's only other start before a stable change, she finished fourth at Callaghan Park on November 4, 2008, after being slow to begin and subsequently pulling up lame in the off foreleg.
The 1200 metres of the Classic shouldn't prove an obstacle for Alesprit, as her mother, the five-times-raced Rory's Jester mare Rory's Babe won over that distance at her only win, ironically almost seven years ago to the day in March, 2002, at Sandown, Melbourne.
Arguably the busiest spot at Callaghan Park was the swabbing stall as Brisbane based officials pre-race swabbed and post race swabbed 50 starters.
On arriving at their designated race-day stall, the officials swooped directing trainers to present selected horses for blood samples and in some case urine swabs.
“Some horses were pre-race swabbed while others were held on course for up to three hours to be post race swabbed,” Queensland Racing Limited's integrity investigative officer Bevan Turner said.
The “swabbing swoopers”, although unannounced, came as no surprise after rumours have been circulating in Rockhampton about horses being stomach tubed with substances, some within hours of race time.
To ascertain any legitimacy to these rumours, it is likely that officials will revert to a former practice, successful as a deterrent to unscrupulous trainers, whereby random visits are made to stables on race morning.
GOOD ALE SMASHES ROCKY RIVALS
We didn’t see the run, so not too sure if the filly had the use of an outboard motor, but Alesprit’s performance at Rockhampton yesterday (3 March) was monumental to say the least.
Having her second start on the central Queensland circuit, the Bel Esprit 2YO decimated rivals with an 11 and a quarter length victory over the 1000m, breaking 56 seconds in the process.
Trainer Tom Bourke obviously has a top notcher taking up box space and it shouldn’t be long before Alesprit makes a trip to the big smoke.
Sold for $35,000 at last year’s Capricorn Yearling Sale, Alesprit ran fourth on debut on Melbourne Cup day before being tipped out for almost four months.
The break has obviously done her the world of good with a 5.5 length trial victory preceding yesterday’s romp.
A daughter of the Rory’s Jester mare, Rory’s Babe, a city winner at two, the pedigree’s a little light on black type up close, but not on form. Indeed, although this is Rory’s Babe’s first winner from one to race, the previous four dams have produced 35 winners from 39 to race.
The Bel Esprit, Rory’s Jester cross is starting to take shape too with two winners from three runners, including debut winner Belle Society.
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