Pearce Racing's seven year old warhorse Ginger Baker collected his first ever stakes win in the Listed 2200m South West Cup yesterday.
On a wet and wild winter's day in Bunbury, the durable son of Gingerbread Man relished the heavy 9 ground and posted his first race victory since September 2023.
Crowd favourite Ginger has run some great races in stakes company since then without winning - including consecutive placings in the G3 Strickland Stakes.
He was third two weeks ago to Admiration Express in the Strickland of 2025, which ran at Pinjarra due to Belmont Park's ongoing renovations.
The old boy put the writing on the wall there and duly followed it up with a very well deserved win.
It was Ginger Baker's first run beyond 2000m and it might not be his last!
Sitting comfortably in second behind the all-the-way leader Playhouse Patron ( Patronize), Brad Parnham on Ginger Baker timed his run beautifully and the result never really looked in doubt as the pair drew away to win by two lengths on the line.
Fear The Wind (Fiorente) also had a charmed run but only whacked away for third place while race favourite Buckets Ridge ( Pride Of Dubai) was always well back and never looked comfortable on the heavy going, but did make up some late ground to finish fourth.
The stalwart Ginger Baker now has the record of 52 starts for 10 wins and 14 placings, including a Listed win and place and his two G3 thirds, for more than $600,000 in earnings.
Ginger was bred by and races for the Greenfields Lodge Syndicate (Mgr Tony Patrizi)
His dam Spring Violet is a two times winning daughter of Encosta De Lago and a half sister to South African stakes winner Diamond King.
Spring Violet has had four of her foals to race, three being winners - with Ginger Baker her best by far, and now her first stakes winner!
She is also dam of Call Me Violet ( f Smart Missile,2 wins) and Atomize (g Patronize, winner)
Spring Violet's dam was the very talented O'Reilly mare Salsa, a stakes winner and G1 placed in NZ and full sister to good stakes placed sprinters Charlie Bub and O'Crikey.
Salsa was an excellent producer too with eight of her nine foals to race being winners, two black type earners.
Ginger Baker's third dam was Ungaro by the great broodmare sire Centaine, a sister to top sprint filly/mare Centisle ( G1 Goodwood) and half sister to the top racemare and multiple stakes producer Sylvaner (G2 Sunline Stakes, G2 SAJC Marsh Classic twice, dam of South African G1 Kenilworth Cape Derby winner Atyaab, by Dundeel)
Ungaro also produced eight winners, three of them stakes winners and two stakes placed - Somepin Anypin (Pins) winner of the G3 Hawksbury Gold Cup, Rule Of Engagement - HK Evergreen (Danasinga) a stakes winner in QLD and G1 placed at two, plus Salsa, Charlie Bub, OCrikey and the unraced Romancing - dam of NZ G3 winner Love Affair (Savabeel) and stakes placed Spooning (Ocean Park)
Ginger Baker becomes the eighth stakes winner for his sire Gingerbread Man.
Yarradale Stud stands the quality son of Shamardal, a consistent and versatile sire of winners.
Gingerbread Man throws horses as tough and talented as he was and Ginger Baker is a great example of the durability of his stock.
The Champion 2YO and 3YO of Singapore, Gingerbread Man is out of the Hurricane Sky mare Quaffle and he was by far the best of her three winners.
Her winning dam Sydney's Spy by Snippets also produced the tough QLD sprinter Golden Snitch to Unbridled's Song.
Gingerbread Man's third dam Spyglass (Sir Sian) excelled at the other end of the distance spectrum winning a G1 Auckland Cup - but she was also a G1 Sires Produce winner at two in NZ.
Her best offspring was the well named Iron Horse, who won 11 races from 1000 to 2850m in Australia including a G1 Epsom Hcp ( he placed in two more and in a Doncaster Hcp, placed in the Caulfield Cup, won the G2 VATC Autumn Classic and was also a stakes winner in Western Australia).
His half brother Specular was Champion Jumper in Australia - while a daughter of Spyglass foaled the fast stakes winning sprint mare Booklet to Tale Of The Cat.
Spyglass herself was a half sister to the 3200m Queensland Cup winner Gaudemus.
As a son of the global breed shaper and mighty upgrader Shamardal, with champion O'Reilly, Golden Slipper winner Hurricane Sky and the ever-reliable Snippets as his first three damsires over this old Kiwi female line - it's easy to see where Gingerbread Man gets his genetic combination of speed, stamina and toughness.
Ginger Baker is bred 5m x 5f to Mr Prospector and his pedigree incorporates the famous nick between the Best In Show family (Hurricane Sky) and O'Reilly's sire Last Tycoon, with which Encosta De Lago also works well.
Ginger Baker's dam Spring Violet is still breeding and she foaled a 2024 filly to Gingerbread Man.
Her 2023 colt, Ginger Baker's full brother, sold to Parnham Racing at the 2025 MM Perth yearling for $75,000 from the Greenfields Lodge draft.
Spring Violet's 2021 foal was a colt by Long Leaf. Named Blazing Gun and in the stable of owner / trainer Vern Brockman, the gelding debuted at Northam just a few days ago.
The mare is expecting a foal by Ridgeport Farm's Snitzel son Ducimus this Spring.
Ginger Baker's sire Gingerbread Man will stand the 2025 season at Yarradale Stud in Gidgegannup on a fee of $5,500.
