Gingerbread Man sired his 100th individual winner when Order Online motored home on debut for an outstanding victory in the BJS Elantis Maiden (1000m) at Pinjarra on Thursday.

Order Online (3g Gingerbread Man - Snitzerella by Snitzel) settled at the tail of the field near the grandstand rail before angling to the centre of the track for Jordie Turner.  He covered plenty of ground down the straight course and there no excuses for the beaten division.

Specked at $17 following a barrier trial win at Ascot, the Colin Webster-trained youngster led home a Gingerbread Man quinella from odds-on favourite Won For The Girls with longshot Chason Wins (Sessions) another length away third.  “I think he will mature in a very nice horse,” Webster said.  “He missed the kick and has to race a bit more kindly.  There’s plenty to learn but, after all, that was only his first start today.”

The win also brought back wonderful memories for Colin and his wife Lyn.  “He’s part-owned by Marilyn Smith and she bought him for $25,000 after he was passed in at the 2023 Magic Millions Winter Sale.

“There wasn’t much of him as a yearling but he’s really developed since then and we were only too happy to train him for Marilyn.  She works in Alice Springs and her parents Len and Peg Smith were dear friends of ours.”

The late, great Len Smith was known as the ‘King Of Cheltenham’ before that track was closed in 2009.  He trained Caliente (Natural Bid) to hometown Port Adelaide Cup victories in 1970 and 1971 and he also prepared My Brightia (Bellotto) for a triumphant Group 1 in the 1996 VRC Oaks (2500m) at Flemington.

Smith’s favourite horse was Skybeau (Dahar) who contested an unprecedented five Melbourne Cups with a third behind Saintly (Sky Chase) his best result in 1996.  Smith and Webster both served terms as President of the Australian Trainers Association and both were made Life Members of their State ATA Associations.

Order Online is the fourth winner in recent weeks from Gingerbread Man’s current 3yo crop following Main Act (Ascot), Swindle The Dough (Albany) and Caraway (Pinjarra) while Won For The Girls is knocking on the door for a Ladies Syndicate managed by Maureen Daly.

He was bred by Thomas Lau and is the second foal from Snitzel mare Snitzerella who won a Broome maiden for Garry Delane.  Her first foal Thousand Cups (Playing God) won a Coff’s Harbour barrier trial before transferring to trainer Tony Cruz in Hong Kong.

Gingerbread Man (Shamardal) stands at Yarradale Stud and his century of winners have saluted the judge in 366 races.  The best of them to date have been Ima Single Man (G2 Karrakatta Plate) and Red Can Man (G3 Sir John Monash Stakes).

ORDER ONLINE / Photo: Western Racepix