The Hotz breaks maiden

"The Hotz is hot alright!" proclaimed the race caller as The Hotz raced away to an easy victory at Hastings on Monday.

Taking an early lead from his good gate and always travelling well for apprentice Rory Hutchings, The Hotz was strongly challenged from the 200m but just kept finding - and over the final stages he was pulling clear of his rivals.

Relishing the staying trip, stepping up to 2100m after a couple of good runs over a mile, the son of Pentire (pictured) was tough breaking his maiden at his first run over a trip.

Raced by Ballymore Stables (Aust), P J Bennett, I E McCarrison, Paul Moroney and G J Williams, The Hotz was a bargain $40,000 purchase for Paul at the 2011 New Zealand Bloodstock Select Yearling Sale.

A 3/4 brother to the stakes winner Pentacity, he is out of the winning Bertolini mare Burning Desire from a tough local family whose members include the VRC Derby winner Omnicorp, the high class Singapore galloper Always Certain, the Group One miler Vonusti and further back the Blue Diamond winning successful stallion Bel Esprit.

Burning Desire was, Paul Moroney recalled, a highly talented mare whose career was hindered by knee problems.

"She was Group class," said Paul who co-bred The Hotz, a horse he is hoping can "develop similarly to Tinseltown and be a high class stayer."