Tackling the older horses on debut is never easy, but the Joseph Ible trained Spice Baby headed to Moruya on Monday, trouncing her opposition to score by three lengths, untouched.
With three barrier trials under her belt, including a last start third at Rosehill when beaten less than a length by Nashville Jack (Farnan), who had himself finished fourth on debut in the Group 2 Silver Slipper, Spice Baby started the short-priced favourite.
Away well from the inside barrier, jockey Louise Day took the filly forward where she settled just off the leader Molteuno (Exceedance).
With Day sitting pretty on the filly until the home turn was reached, Spice Baby exploded away from her rivals in an impressive display to win by three lengths, ridden hand heels all the way to the line.
Bred by Mr DA Ferrarin, and raced in partnership with a host of owners, Spice Baby is the second winner out of Stratum mare Ice Baby, who herself began her career with a fourth in the Listed Gimcrack Stakes.
Ice baby is a half-sister to the stakes placed Encosta Tszyu from the family of Group 2 winner Marine One (Capitalist) and the Group 3-winning, Group 1 placed Cannonball (Capitalist).
Having foaled a full-brother the following season, the colt was sold at the 2024 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale to Highline Thoroughbreds Ltd / Paul Moroney Bloodstock for $70,000 from the draft of Middlebrook Valley Lodge before he was reoffered at the 2025 NZB Karaka Book 1 when knocked down to Riverrock Farm for $110,000.
The mare unfortunately passed away with her final foal being a colt by Profiteer that was sold to Shane McGrath Bloodstock for $4,000 at the 2025 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale.
With his oldest runners about to turn 4, Tassort has made a sensational start to his stud career, and we will see his Group 1-winning daughter Manaal step out on Tuesday in the second of two Group and Listed trials at Randwick.
The sire of 39 individual winners, headed by seven stakes performers, Tassort will stand at Newgate Farm in the spring at a fee of $38,500 (inc. GST).
