Ignite The Furnace appears a live prospect of providing hobby trainer Sarah Wall with a watershed moment in the sport when he starts a co-favourite for Friday’s Group 1 $215,000 2yo Westbred Colts And Geldings Classic Final (2130m) at Gloucester Park.
Despite the field being largely inexperienced, with only one starter entering double-digit starts, Ignite The Furnace is the equal-least experienced runner in the race with only four starts.
Making his debut in February, the Bunbury-trained gelding showed terrific acceleration to sprint from the back of the pack to first within moments.
Spelled subsequently, the bay resumed at Gloucester Park in a heat of the Pearl Classic where he was forced to sit outside Ideal Whisper and ran a gallant second.
In the final, a wide barrier forced him back towards the tail, but he showed heart to sustain a long burst, running third behind Hez The Boss and Ideal Whisper.
Eighteen days later, another deep draw meant he was initially restrained in his Westbred heat, but a swift move had him striking the front only 400m after release point.
He made light work of his opposition and won like a $1.16 favourite should but in the ensuing hours, Ideal Whisper and Hez The Boss did the same to their rivals in their respective heats.
Their prospects hinged on the barrier draw for this week’s lucrative final and for the first time in his career, Ignite The Furnace has drawn a good gate (one).
In fact, in three of his four starts, he’s drawn the widest barrier possible and only better than two rivals on the other occasion.
Will he have the necessary zip and racing nous to use that perceived advantage?
Only two of his frontline opponents, Asteri Adelphos (barrier six) and Acknowledgement (eight), have not initially shown the speed to lead a race before, so he is sure to be tested in the early part.
But if breeding has any say, he will.
His sire, Wesley, recorded the biggest win of his career when expressing lightning toe to find the front in the 2016 Champagne Classic as a two-year-old, providing Wall with her only Group-level (2) triumph.
That same dash wasn’t quite enough to cross in the Westbred Final two months later when he was forced back to midfield and finished fifth, meaning Friday’s clash will be a chance at redemption for the 38-year-old.
Maybe he doesn’t need to have the speed to lead.
His grandmother, Moment In Time, landed her biggest and only Group 1 win in the 2004 Australian Oaks after racing four back along the pegs despite beginning from barrier one.
Upon market opening for the big race, Ignite The Furnace was installed a $1.95 second fancy behind Hez The Boss ($1.85f).
The two have exchanged punches at the head of affairs with Hez The Boss at one stage edging to $2.10, though he now has firmed back to $1.95.
Ignite The Furnace, at time of writing, is $2.15 in this inspired duel for betting supremacy.
Hez The Boss, still a colt, has had the measure of his two-year-old counterparts for much of the season and took the spoils in that Pearl, which boasted stakes of $250,000 and is the largest carrot on the juvenile calendar.
All of his victories this campaign have arrived with relative comfort, but this has the makings of his hardest test.
His only career defeat from eight appearances came behind Seaside Serenade on debut with that filly the $2 fancy to salute in the fairer-sex edition.
She was beaten in the Diamond Classic – the female equivalent of the Pearl – after being forced to work in the death seat and was overwhelmed by Nevele Arma to finish fourth.
That night, she started the $2.35 elect from gate two but was held off the pegs.
This time, she again draws two, but punters are wagering she’s more likely to be the recipient of the frontrunner’s role this time.
She ran to the lead in her heat and scored a cosy success over Ursulas Wish ($41), who is one of four Dylan Egerton-Green-trained starters in this Friday’s race.
Nevele Arma ($3.60), who overcame barrier 12 to salute in the Diamond, is rated Egerton-Green’s best prospect but draws immediately outside Seaside Serenade.
She wore down stablemate Scandaleyes ($11) to grab gold in her heat, while pole-marker Some Dancer ($17) is the final of the Serpentine trainer’s runners and finished fourth behind the remaining qualifier winner Im Catastrophic ($19).
The only other competitor under double-digit odds is Ilikeitlikethat ($4.80), who is bred to go close.
Greg and Skye Bond enjoyed a whirlwind career with her mother Dodolicious, who bolted in her two-year-old Westbred Final by 16m before completing the double with another easy victory a year later.
Earlier, the three and four-year-olds will compete for $100,000 prizes in their respective races.
Fakenit ($1.12f), who was beaten by Its Maa Time ($14) when they met twelve months ago, is prohibitively favoured to turn the tables this time in the mares’ event.
The former was beaten for early speed in that edition but has improved with racing and is now more armed to defend early advances.
For the older boys, Captain Stirling ($2.50f) must overcome gate 11 if he is to justify his position at the top of betting.
Major Disco ($4.40) was risen from obscurity this campaign and is benefited by barrier one, while Belly Up ($4.80, gate seven) and last year’s victor Lazi Dais ($5, two) are next in line.
Ideal Beach ($3) is out to defend his title in the three-year-old colts and geldings’ race but his barrier of six means he begins deep of both Wheelsofortune ($3.30, one) and El Mystro ($3.20, four).
Wheelsofortune is the only of the three to have not qualified with victory, finishing third behind Wake Up Geoff ($18).
His gate speed is only moderate, and he is certain to be tested by El Mystro in the initial part but if he can retain his inside pitch, he is sure to take beating.
El Mystro destroyed his heat rivals in quick time, displaying explosive power over the final 600m to salute.
Therefore, Ideal Beach, whose career stakes tower over the other duo, will have his work cut out to triumph.
Sovereign Jewel ($2.35f) has mostly taken cover in her races but has also successfully led, so she will have options aplenty from gate No. 1 in the three-year-old fillies’ contest.
Justasmooth Miki ($4) only has eight runs under her belt but ran a bottler behind D Mac two starts ago before battling on with valour to be third behind Miss Bejeweled ($8.50) in her heat.
She is drawn immediately next door in two and is sure to present an ominous threat from the very start.
Maas Attack ($6.50, No. 10) will have the chance to stalk her biggest threats and is one of four Aiden De Camp-prepared runners.
Miss Bejeweled (barrier 11), Sweeter The Bettor ($13, five) and Shoo Boozy ($151, eight) complete his contingent.
A Precious Gem ($9, four) is a worthy second-stringer for Dylan Egerton Green behind Sovereign Jewel, while it would be foolish to discount Skyhigh Adda ($14, seven) for Jocelyn Young despite an certain unenviable racing position.
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