News

Spitfire Lady Survives Flemington Protest

6th Jul 2013

AAP Racing - Jeff Turnbull - Saturday 06 July, 2013

A storming finish from Spitfire Lady recalled the wartime exploits of the owner's mother who flew the iconic fighter in World War II.

With veteran jockey Darren Gauci aboard, Spitfire Lady ($15) survived a protest from Ben Melham on the favourite Ava'a Delight ($2.40) to claim victory by a long neck in the Rivette Series Final (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday.

Perfect Offering ($6) finished third, a short neck away.

Owner Rupert Legh said the three-year-old filly was named in honour of his English-born mother Rosemary whose job during the war was to deliver the Spitfires to bases in Europe.

"The planes were unarmed and had no radio as she, and other women fliers, would deliver them into France and other places in Europe for the men," Mr Legh said.

"She was a gun lady and had a real crack."

Melham told stewards he Ava's Delight was interfered with at the 300-metre mark which cost his horse victory.

He said with Ava's Delight carrying 60kg, the weight proved too much as his mount tried to recover the lost ground.

Stewards found that although Ava's Delight had been inconvenienced it wasn't enough to change the result.

Spitfire Lady was a $30,000 purchase by Paul Moroney Bloodstock from the draft of Bellerive Stud at the 2011 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale