$110,000 Ballarat Cup completes hat-trick for Jack and Louis

First it was the Bendigo Cup, then the Shepparton Cup and tonight Spirit Of St Louis and driver Jack Callaghan completed the harness racing hat-trick winning the $110,000 Ballarat Cup.

Causing an upset in each of his recent cup victories, Spirit Of St Louis was at starting odds of $5 and held off the likes of top mare Amazing Dream, race favourite Lochinvar Art and the second elect Expensive Ego.

In an action-packed race with plenty of moves, Spirit Of St Louis held the lead, was crossed, raced outside the leader and then in the running line before making one last dash that counted to win by a half-neck in a mile rate of 1:55.6 for the 2710m Group 1.

“That was pretty exciting,” said Callaghan.

“I believed in the horse.

“We had to do it a bit different to what I expected and luckily it all worked out . . . it was actioned packed!

“I have won a Group 1 race back at home before but the prestige of this, as a kid this is what you dream of.”

Callaghan, 20, won his first Group 1 with Kanye Crusader in the Regional Championship at Newcastle in 2020.

This success with Spirit Of St Louis gave trainer Belinda McCarthy her 34^th Group 1 victory.

“That was fantastic,” she said.

“He originally came down as a stable companion for our trotter.

“He’s always been a lovely horse and has come though his recent runs so well.”

Spirit Of St Louis is a five-year-old gelding by Sweet Lou.

This win pushed his earnings to $302,297, making him the second-richest progeny of his sire that has been bred in the Southern Hemisphere.

Click here to view the results from Ballarat on Saturday night.

By Amanda Rando for Harnesslink