Spencer back to defend Spring Sprint title
Paul Vettise - Raceform • October 10th, 2025 9:15 AM • 4 min read
Gifted wet-track performer Spencer is in prime order for Saturday’s Otaki meeting, where he will bid to defend his Gr. 3 Fastinternet.nz Spring Sprint title and remain unbeaten this preparation.
The dependable son of Derryn will step out in the 1400-metre feature, in which he claimed top honours when it was contested at Te Rapa 12 months ago.
Spencer has won a further two races in the interim, both of them at Trentham, where he successfully opened his current campaign last month.
Off the back of a trial victory at Foxton, the six-year-old raced wide with cover and proved too strong in the run to the wire to beat Bold Belle, who was in receipt of four kilograms, and Group Two winner Marotiri Molly.
“He was really good, and it wasn’t really a surprise,” Waverley trainer Erin Hocquard said. “He has improved with the run. My only concern would be how heavy it will be at Otaki, but you can’t do much about that.
“He does cope with them, but I think if the track wasn’t too bad, it will help him with his topweight.”
Spencer has been a three-time winner on heavy going with his remaining five victories posted on soft ground, so any improvement in underfoot conditions will be welcomed.
Spencer’s programme after his Otaki assignment will include further stakes targets.
“We always wanted to have a crack at this one after he won it last year,” Hocquard said. “Then there’s a couple of options, a Group Three at Trentham and a Listed race at Te Rapa with both of them worth $100,000.”
The races on the radar are the Thompson Handicap over 1600 metres on October 26 and the Legacy Lodge Sprint over 1200 metres on November 8.
Spencer has raced only once beyond 1400 metres when he was unplaced in last season’s Thompson off the back of his Spring Sprint success.
“He’s quite versatile and he doesn’t over-race,” Hocquard said. “He had that one try over a mile and the track was really heavy that day, so you can’t go off that. He would go a lot better over that distance on a better track.”
Hocquard prepares Spencer for former employer Aidan Schumacher, who bred and races the gelding with his brother Kieran. He is the first foal out of the Darci Brahma mare Darcistar, who is out of a half-sister to the family’s Gr. 1 Easter Handicap winner Aimee Jay, who was also four times successful at Group Two level.
Hocquard will also be represented by Our Sassie Anne in the Aquashield Roofing Premier at Otaki, and improvement is expected from the daughter of The Bold One following her unplaced resuming effort last month.
“She needed the run at Waverley after she had some time off after she hurt her leg,” she said. “Things haven’t really gone right so far this year, but I think she’ll go well.”
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