Gingerbread Man colt Beatty was the hard luck story of the Karrakatta Plate a fortnight ago when he blew the start badly and had to be used up early, but still came home like a train for second to the winner Afireofgidgeecoals (Too Darn Hot).
That was Beatty's first defeat in four starts, but the Sean and Jake Casey trained youngster was back to his brilliant best in the G3 WA Sires Produce Stakes (1400m), claiming his fifth victory and the first Group win of his career with Willie Pike in the saddle.
Punters were convinced the colt wouldn't let them down this time. They sent him out a hot favourite for the Sires over the Karrakatta winner, and Beatty didn't let them down.
As 10 of the last 12 WA Sires Produce winners had finished top three in the Karrakatta, the two colts completely dominated the betting.
The season's top filly Aurum Belle, third in the Karrakatta, had gone to the paddock so it fell to the fourth placed Jedi Dream ( Cosmic Force) to fly the flag for her sex in the Sires.
Other runners to be specked at longer odds were Neville Parnham's well bred I Am Invincible gelding Vinny Nay, and the favourite's stablemate Clear Approval (Yes Yes Yes).
As the last of the juvenile features of the WA season got underway, it was 100/1 roughie Run Rupert Run (Winning Rupert) who stormed out of the gates to lead the Sires field.
Right there with him was Clear Approval and another at bolters odds, Wolf Whistle Zel (Rommel)
Vinny Nay dropped in on the rail as Pike expertly manoeuvred Beatty into a perfect position just behind the speed, with Lucy Fiore on Afireofgidgeecoals stalking his every move.
The fillies Lady Torque and Jedi Dream raced side by side, while “Gidgee”'s stablemate Ruthless Angel (Bondi) had ambled out of the barriers and thus found herself a conspicuous last.
At the 700m the field cruised along by Ascot's famous riverside, the Swan sparkling behind them in the autumn sun.
Run Rupert Run took them along ears pricked, obviously enjoying his moment in the spotlight, short as it would prove to be.
Clear Approval was travelling well as they approached the home turn but Wolf Whistle Zel was already running on fumes. Beatty was coiled up behind them ready to pounce as Run Rupert Run, shaken up by Jarrad Noske, floored it into the straight a length and a half clear in a brave do or die effort.
Clear Approval went past both he and Wolf Whistle Zel into a clear second, but now Beatty was unleashed by Pike and produced superior acceleration his rivals could not match.
Afireofgidgeecoals was coming home behind him but Beatty had far too much in hand and the star colt won the Sires comfortably in the end, with Afireofgidgeecoals a length and a half behind him.
It was Willie The Wizards first WA Sires win since piloting Camporella to victory in 2013, and a satisfying big race result for the Casey stable who have fielded a great team of juveniles all season.
“We were a bit quiet on the drive home after the Karrakatta” said Jake with good humour after the race, “but these things happen. I'm just glad he could redeem himself today.
“ It was a pretty easy watch to be honest. Willie gave him a great ride as usual, and he really let down and won well.
“Physically, he has muscled up so much through the season, and really filled out. He's going to be a beautiful type of horse. It was good seeing him go to the 1400 and run through the line so strong.
"We are looking forward to some of those three year old races later in the year. I think he'll stay here in WA as a three year old, we'll see how he goes. It's a big step up again to go into those big three year old races, so we'll see how he measures up and just take it prep by prep.”
Pike was well pleased that Beatty had performed like the ultimate professional this time.
“ He was a completely different horse today. In the Karrakatta we were in the barriers for a very long time, but the whole time he was giving me grief,” said the champion hoop.
“ Today he was an absolute cool cat. There were horses playing up, he didn't care. It was a shame on the big Karrakatta day to have a bee in his bonnet, but today he was very good.”
“It was a nice even gallop and everything worked out perfectly for us. He stretched out to 1400 today, not all of them can when they're that brilliant.
"We've been talking about a race like the Northerly Stakes for him…. there's a lot of water to go under the bridge before we get there, but he's definitely on that type of path.”
Beatty's impressive record now reads 5-4-1-0 for earnings of $382,640.
The son of Gingerbread Man is a homebred for renowned WA racing identity Wally Daley.
He is the fourth foal, third winner and first stakes winner from Femette (Murtajill) - a winning daughter of Wally and his late brother George’s 2004 Gimcrack Stakes heroine Refemme (Surtee).
Beatty's three year old half brother by Shooting To Win is named Peter Gunn and has won two and placed twice in just five starts, while his half sister Camera Action by the same sire has won four races.
Femette has a Toronado daughter Toronado Magic who is retained by Daley -she has produced two foals for him by Maschino and Beatty's sire Gingerbread Man - while Femette herself produced a full brother to Beatty last season and was then served by Rommel.
Refemme was the only stakes winner from her dam Guinevere (Agincourt) and this speedy family descends from the VATC Debutante Stakes winner Limousine (Landau) - her best progeny was the Roma Cup winner Star Glitter.
This is a branch of family 2- which traces to a daughter of Heroic named Hall Mark's Sister and yes she was a full sister to that Hall Mark, the great champion of the 1930s who won the AJC / VRC Derbies and Melbourne Cup at three years, and many other major races over all distances.
This is the family of the legendary imported matriarch Teppo by Ladas, and many great horses have traced their ancestry to her.
Beatty is bred
Roberto x5m,5m
He is the ninth stakes winner for Yarradale Stud's Gingerbread Man. The son of Shamardal sired the Karrakatta Plate winner of 2017, Ima Single Man who was exported and raced successfully in HK.
Gingerbread Man's sire Shamardal is bred 5f x 4f to Halo and 5m x 5m to his sire Hail To Reason - including an important sex balancing female line of Roberto which comes via his sire Giant's Causeway.
That Storm Cat son was linebred to Roberto's family (12-c) as it is also the tribe of his damsire Rahy (by Halo)
As Roberto is a frequent presence in top class juvenile pedigrees, we can see why this mating has brought forth such a precocious colt!
Other notable aspects of Beatty's pedigree are his linebreeding to Blue Hens Almahmoud (Machiavellian, Danehill, Halo) Myrtlewood ( Mr Prospector, Seattle Slew, Never Say Die is by their relative Baldric), Cherokee Rose ( Storm Cat, Be My Guest, Bold Commander and relative Red God), Nile Lily ( Rock Of Gibraltar, Riverman) Betty Derr (Reverse, Swaps) and to old faithfuls Lalun and La Troienne.
The great sire Beau Pere makes many appearances in this pedigree - and he is sex balanced in Gingerbread Man's third dam Miss Diable - a descendant of Phar Lap's full sister Fortune's Wheel, the seventh dam of the great Sunline.
Beatty is linebred to Grey Sovereign, Star Kingdom, Nashua, Round Table and more.
Last year's WA Sires Produce winner Just Too Fly ( Justify) has joined the exodus to the east and is in the stables of Chris Waller. Previous winners of the race to progress to major success since the 1990s include Super Smink, Luke's Luck, Motion Pictures, Roman Time, God Has Spoken, Hardrada, Paris Petard, Covertly, Brava Fortune, Bomber Bill and Marooned Lady.
Beatty's sire Gingerbread Man stands at Yarradale Stud on a fee of $5,500.
The son of Shamardal, who commenced service in 2013, covered 35 mares last season and Beatty is his second stakes winner of 2026, the other being the dual Listed winner Phanta.
