Spright breaks maiden with speedy finish

Days before the 20th anniversary of Filante’s Epsom Handicap win, the White family’s colours have flashed down the outside for another victory on a Sydney racecourse.

And the latest winner with white silks and a purple star appears to be heading back towards stakes grade for trainer Gary Frazer.

Spright – with the Whites’ trademark seven-letter name – won the Chifley Financial Services Plate (1100m) at Rosehill on Wednesday.

Kerrin McEvoy took Spright ($4.20) to second last and she swamped In Times Of War ($4.60) and $3 favourite Nonpariel late.

“I am over the moon,” Frazer said.

“We’ve taught her to relax and get back and race the way she did.

“I think when she gets to 1400 metres and maybe further she’ll be even better.”

The White family are part-owners of Spright and have raced and bred multiple Group One winners including 1996 Epsom winner Filante.

Spright was dropped back to midweek grade in her first start since finishing third in the Group Three Percy Sykes Stakes in April.

McEvoy said she had done it tough from the widest barrier.

“We had to give a little bit of ground away but she had a good turn of foot that’s for sure,” McEvoy said.

“It’s a nice time of the year for her to be in and there’s probably options up in trip.”

A shock win for Cry For Peace in a 1500m-benchmark 72 was the second of the day for trainer Chris Waller who attributed the victory largely to the experience of jockey Glyn Schofield.

“Glyn has got a fantastic pair of hands. I’m not just saying that because he has won. He really is a talented, and obviously world class, jockey,” Waller said.

The four-year-old mare put value into the exotics, winning at $41, ahead of stablemate Bannatyne ($14) and Romney’s Choice ($26).

Waller said the dry track was a blessing, which was echoed by co-trainer Peter Snowden after Niccolance’s dominant win in the Independent Education Maiden (1100m).

“I just kept telling the owners ‘just hang off until we get a good track because he’s is just a duffer on wet ground’,” Snowden said.

Waller said he had been forced to delay the campaign of his other winner My Guiliano in the New Law Handicap (1900) because of wet tracks in August.

The Snowdens also trained the final winner of the day with three-year-old colt Acatour defeating older horses in the Teachers Health Fund Handicap (1500m).