Tracer bullet at Canterbury

There were celebrations all round after Red Tracer won the Listed P J Bell Stakes at Canterbury on Friday night.

Apart from her owner – trainer team of Geoff Grimish and Chris Waller, it was a satisfying result for leading agent Vin Cox.

Red Tracer (3f Dane Shadow – Kisma by Snippets) maintained a 50% winning strike-rate when she motored home to defeat Steps In Time (Danehill Dancer) and Palomares (Commands) at Canterbury.  She was backing up after narrow defeats at G2 level in the Light Fingers Stakes at Randwick and Surround Stakes at Warwick Farm.  

Grimish purchased Kisma after Cox recommended the mare as a designated mate for Kitchwin Hills sire Dane Shadow.  Their first foal Shellscrape has won 6 races and $730,000 headed by a Group 1 victory in the AJC The Galaxy.  

Red Tracer is the second and Waller is confident she can also graduate to Group 1 level next season.  A more immediate goal is the Listed James Carr Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in a fortnight.

Kisma has been a revelation at stud after winning three races around the Queensland provincials.  After her two Dane Shadow stakes winners, she was bred back to the Kitchwin Hills sire and produced colts in 2008 and 2010.  She was covered by Redoute’s Choice last September.

Red Tracer has won 4 races in 8 starts and over $290,000.  Grimish and his wife Mary donated $42,000 of those earnings from her victory in the Kidney Kids Handicap at Rosehill in October.

“Red Tracer has got a great future,” Waller said.  “Who knows, with a bit of improvement she might be the next big filly!”