Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Four-year-old mare Chilli Punter survived a devastating stable fire in Victoria three years ago which claimed the lives of eleven pacers, and she has proved to be an equine marvel, having recovered from severe smoke inhalation and the trauma of the raging blaze to be a successful performer on the track.
Oakford trainer Jemma Hayman purchased Chilli Punter for $22,000 at the Melbourne APG yearling sale early in 2022 on behalf of herself and prominent WA owners Albert and Julie Walmsley, as well as outlaying $7000 for a Betting Line colt at the sale.
She then sent both yearlings to be broken in and educated by experienced trainer and driver Rita Burnett at the family property in Forbes. Both pacers were caught up in the catastrophic stable blaze in July 2022. The colt was one of the eleven pacers to perish.
“Fortunately, Chilli Punter was one of the first horses to get out of the stable because she was near the end,” said Hayman. “But that night the vets wanted to put Chilli Punter down because she had suffered such severe smoke inhalation, had blood pouring from both nostrils and had a heart rate of 120.
“I spoke with Albert, and we agreed to give her a chance, so we committed $3000 to get her assessed. All her airwaves were torched from the heat, and she was hospitalised for a week and then made a steady recovery with expert care and treatment.
“We then got her home here in WA and though there was no guarantee that she would be able to race we were able to prepare her, and she won at her first two starts as a two-year-old at Pinjarra and Gloucester Park in June 2023.”
Both those wins were by a margin of a half-head, and at Gloucester Park on Friday night she notched her first metro-class victory when Shannon Suvaljko drove her to a memorable victory in the $21,000 Galactic Star In Retirement Pace over 2130m.
This took her record to 38 starts for nine wins, 15 placings and stakes of $96,640.
“She has been through wars and has come through as the most lovely racehorse,” said Hayman. “Rita looked after her wonderfully well.
“Tonight, I wasn’t very confident with Chilli Punter starting out wide at barrier eight. She loves racing on the rails. And that’s where Shannon placed her, and it was one of those drives from Shannon, making the right move at the right time.”
Chilli Punter, a $16.10 chance, was eighth at the bell, on the pegs before Suvaljko eased her off the inside with 600m to travel. She moved to sixth at the 250m mark before going four wide on the home turn and finishing fast to get up and win by a half neck from $20 chance Swagger Man, who thundered home from last at the bell.
Chilli Punter is by American sire Betting Line and is the second foal out of Rocknroll Hanover mare Habanero, who raced 23 times for six wins, five placings and $19,130. Habanero is a half-sister to Flaming Flutter, a top-flight pacer who raced 152 times for 29 wins, 51 placings and $879,694.
Flaming Flutter contested two Interdominion Championship series in Western Australia, finishing third behind Lennytheshark in the final in December 2013. He celebrated his eighth and final appearance in WA by winning the Ray Duffy Memorial at Gloucester Park in January 2017 when he defeated Lisharry.