This dark grey daughter of Capitalist is winning plenty of fans with her brilliant gate speed and natural talent with champion jockey Tommy Berry leading the cheer squad.
Tommy Berry has ridden the Michael Freedman trained filly in her three trials prior to race day and steered her to an easy three length debut victory at Newcastle last month.
He took the reins again at Warwick Farm on Wednesday for what looked a very strong Benchmark 68 event over 1200m and Spirit of Wealth lived up to expectation as a short priced favourite. She flew the gates to lead and when asked to extend in the straight had too many gears for her rivals winning by a comfortable two and a half lengths.
“We’ve always had a good opinion of her in the stable and when I was saddling her up today I thought the penny had dropped with her and she knew what her job was and we saw that today,” said stable representative Sophie Johnson.
Tommy Berry has a good association with the filly, who is not straight forward.
“I don’t let anyone near her and she’s not the easiest to ride either,” Berry said.
“She’s a filly that is full of energy and has a bit of an attitude. I remember with her at home one day I gave her a slap on the shoulder coming back in and she put her head between her legs and tried to drop me, so she’s got that bit of buzz about her.
“Today she just travelled a little bit stronger than I would have liked in the middle stages, but she put them away effortless and pretty much had a good look all the way down the straight.”
Spirit of Wealth was a $90,000 Inglis Classic purchase from Newgate Farm for Darby Bloodstock and is now two for two with nearly $80,000 in the bank.
Bred by Love Racing and foaled and raised at Newgate, Spirit of Wealth is the fifth winner from five to race from well bred Bel Esprit mare Silver Spirit, an unraced half-sister to Group I winners Leica Guv, Light Fantastic and Group III winner Lectrice with the family also producing Group I winning sprinter Benedetta.
Newgate sold a King’s Legacy colt from Silver Spirit at Magic Millions this year for $80,000 to Kelly Schweida Racing and there is another yearling colt to follow by the same sire and she is back in foal to him again.
