Long-time racing enthusiasts might remember Fatty Finn, who claimed his first win as the favourite at Sale.
The name originates from a comic strip character created in Sydney during the 1920s, later adapted into a 1980s film starring Ben Oxenbould.
This horse Fatty Finn notched success on his third outing in the Programmed Property Services Maiden Plate (1415m) held at Sale on Wednesday.
Trained by Charlotte Littlefield, she also looks after Bruiser Murphy, another aptly named horse who won a Moe maiden on debut and shares ownership connections with Fatty Finn.
Littlefield, handling strapping responsibilities at Sale that day, shared an engaging background story on Fatty Finn.
“Ben, the actor who played the character in the movie, got in touch with us,” Littlefield told racing.com.
“He’s going world-wide this horse and now that he’s won, he’s going to be even more famous.
“It’s a great story.”
Dispatched as the $2.10 favourite with jockey Zac Spain aboard, Fatty Finn controlled the race from early on, winning by 1-½ lengths over Just For Kicks ($5), while She’s Got The Cash ($6) finished a head further back in third.
“He rode that to perfection,” Littlefield said.
“He took luck out of the equation, he went forward and the horse was too good.
“A big thank-you to Lyn Joyce who has entrusted this horse in my care, and she has two horses, very well named, Bruiser Murphy and Fatty Finn.”
Littlefield plans to travel back to England for the Magnolia Cup at the Glorious Goodwood Carnival in July, a charitable event on ‘Ladies Day’ featuring 12 female riders from business, sport, fashion, and media backgrounds after rigorous preparation.
“I grew up just down the road, so Goodwood was my local racecourse,” Little said.
“To now return here and compete at such a prestigious event is truly a pinch-me moment.”
Explore the Australian betting sites for top racing odds on future outings like Fatty Finn’s next race.