Spencer salutes first-up for new stable

[Wandering Eyes]

Quality sprinter Spencer (NZ) (Derryn) showed all his fighting qualities when he dug deep to earn his ninth career win in one of the feature events at Wanganui on Saturday, the Manawatu ITM 1340.

The six-year-old son of Derryn was having his first run from the Matamata stable of Peter and Shaun McKay after doing his previous racing in the care of Erin Hocquard at Waverley.

Unsighted since finishing midfield at Trentham last month, last season’s Gr.3 Spring Sprint (1400m) winner paraded in fine order before Saturday’s contest, with plenty of attitude on display as he made his way around to the starting gates.

Apprentice Sienna Brown, who reduced her mount’s 62kg topweight down to a competitive 58kg with her 4kg apprentice claim, allowed Spencer to settle into a steady rhythm in midfield after jumping well before looping the field to dispute the pace with Blissful Belle at the 600m.

Angled to the middle of the track, Spencer quickly hit the front after straightening and fought off all challengers to win by just on a length from race favourite Bedtime Story (NZ) (Per Incanto) and the late-closing Latrelle (NZ) (Redwood).

Shaun McKay had a big smile on his face as he described the pre-race disposition of the horse.

“He had a good strut on him and he looked a picture,” McKay said. “He won how he looked as well.

“We haven’t learnt much from him just yet, but he is a pretty cruisy horse who has galloped really well at home.

“He likes apprentices too and Sienna gets on well with him, so it was a very good win.

“We will take it race by race, but there is a sprint down at Wellington at the start of December that we might aim him for.”

The race McKay was alluding to is the Gr.3 Spring Sprint (1400m), which Spencer claimed in 2024 when held at Te Rapa.

Bred and part-owned by Taranaki horseman Aidan Schumacher, Spencer has now won nine of his 27 starts and $309,430 in prizemoney.

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