It was billed as Sunday Funday, and Seymour Racing Club’s second meet of the season certainly lived up to its name for local trainers Lee and Shannon Hope. The Seymour based father and son operation saluted a win on their home track on Sunday with five-year-old gelding Fire Tribe. Ridden by Ethan Brown, the Contributer gelding enjoyed a good run in transit before storming home to win by a head in the fittingly named race – “Hope Racing” 0-62 Handicap over 1400m.
Speaking to Racing.com following the win, Ethan Brown praised Fire Tribe’s fitness on the heavy track conditions, which allowed him to time his run perfectly to be ahead when it mattered – at the post.
“He bounced well and the position we landed I thought the race set up good for us. There were a few horses working in front of us, so I thought I’ll time my run here, because he’s a fit horse and kept him balanced through the corner. But they actually quickened well and they dropped him for a bit. He stuck to his work and with his fitness and home track advantage he arrived at the right time. He is a bit of a thinker so it probably played to his benefit” – Ethan Brown
This was the first win for Fire Tribe since joining the Hope Racing team in January. Purchased from the Inglis online Sale for $30,000, the gelding has had six starts for the new ownership group and collective earnings including 3 minor placings has recouped their initial outlay.
“He has taken a little bit to work out and we think we have found the key to him by keeping him on the fresh side. He also had some feet issues but thanks to our farrier he has worked his magic yet again” – Co-Trainer Lee Hope
The horse will have his next start at the Benalla Cup meeting on September 26 in a heat of the Melbourne Cup Carnival series with the aim to qualify for the $500K final on Oaks Day over 1600m. Fire Tribe is raced by a large group of some 34 owners and many were on course to witness the victory and pictured in the winners circle.
