Impressive Racing sprinter Vast Art won the LR Hannans Hcp (1400m) despite sitting four-wide without cover in the feature sprint of the Kalgoorlie season on Wednesday.

Vast Art (Flying Artie) had disappointed as an even-money favourite in the TABtouch Stakes (1200m) at Belmont last month but was always travelling for Clint Johnston-Porter in the Goldfields.  He had handful of horse and made an early move down the side of the course to sit outside the leading trio of No Change (Reward for Effort), Rokanori (Awesome Rock) and Ginger Baker (Gingerbread Man).

Johnston-Porter then sooled Vast Art to a winning lead at the top of the straight to score by over length for an Impressive Racing syndicate that’s now banked $522,000 with the inclusion of $110,000 in Westspeed Bonuses.

“I was super happy when he arrived here safe and well yesterday,” Impressive Racing trainer Darren McAuliffe said.  “We put the visors on and he was much sharper at 1400m.  We left that up our sleeve for a while and it worked.”

Vast Art will dodge the summer carnival because McAuliffe believes the 5yo gelding just doesn’t get around Ascot.  He will likely be set for the LR Pinjarra Classic (1300m) on February 23.

Impressive Racing won the 2022 Pinjarra Classic with Clairvoyance (Nostradamus) and their homebred Cold Shizzle (Awesome Rock) looked the winner this year before being collared by River Rubicon (Rubick) in race-record time.

McAuliffe and his Impressive Racing partner Kevin Berry bred Vast Art who had opened his black-type account in the LR Raconteur Stakes (1400m) at Belmont in June 2023.  He’s the fourth winner from Fast Gal (Fastnet Rock) following Fast Dealer (Dundeel), Shotgun Sally (Shooting To Win) and Handshake (Dundeel).

Vast Art is by successful Blue Gum Farm sire Flying Artie (Artie Schiller).  Fast Gal had been purchased carrying him by John Chalmers on behalf of Impressive Racing for $18,000 at an Inglis Digital Sale in 2019.  She changed hands again when bought by NSW-based Meadowbrook Farm for $20,000 at the Inglis June Digital Sale in 2023.

Impressive Racing retained Fast Gal’s unnamed colts by Universal Ruler (Scenic) and Earthlight (Shamardal).