Classy three-year-old Hunger Strike, one of only two fillies in the 2130m Free Entry Boxing Day Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, gave a sample of her class when she gave a bold frontrunning display to win the 2130m event.
Hunger Strike, the $1.80 favourite trained at Ravenswood by Nathan Turvey, showed that she is set for a bright future when Abbey Vidovich dashed her straight to the front from the No. 1 barrier and she set a solid pace on her way to winning by just over a half-length from the well-credentialled gelding Como El Viento.
After opening quarters of 29.7sec. and 29.9sec. Hunger Strike made life tough for her nine rivals by sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.2sec. and 28.5sec.
She rated a smart 1.55.5 and took her record to 38 starts for eight wins, 17 placings and $166,052 in stakes. The Queensland-bred filly now has won at two of her eight WA starts after her 19 starts in Queensland produced four wins and ten placings, and her eleven appearances in New South Wales resulted in two wins and four placings.
Hunger Strike is by former smart American juvenile pacer Stay Hungry, who was retired with earnings of $1,358,086 from twelve wins and six placings from 25 starts as a two and three-year-old. Hunger Strike is the first foal out of Western Terror mare Tori May, who raced 48 times for eight wins, nine placings and $52,861.
“She was advertised on the internet earlier this year, and I bought her for $38,000 and will race her with a few of my friends,” said Turvey.
“She had a reasonable record, and I thought she would come over here and be competitive in the WA Oaks (on October 3). But we probably got her a bit late and she failed to qualify for the Oaks.”
Hunger Strike was the $3 favourite when she made her WA debut in an Oaks prelude on September 26 when she raced wide early and then enjoyed a good trip, one-out and one-back before wilting late and finishing sixth behind her stablemate and $25.80 outsider Akoya Pearl.
Her second appearance was again at Gloucester Park on October 7 when she was the $2.35 favourite from barrier four and set the pace before finishing second to the smart gelding Beaudiene Hunter.
Hunger Strike was the $2.25 favourite two starts before her appearance on Friday night when she set the pace and faded to finish fourth behind Delulu.
“That was a disappointing effort,” said Turvey. “But we discovered she was suffering from the effects of an allergy. So, we treated her and she is okay now and has won at her past wo starts.”
Hunger Strike showed considerable early promise, and she impressed when she won the $156,000 APG Brisbane Sales Graduate final for two-year-olds over 1660m at Albion Park in July 2024.
