Bray started the new year in winning fashion with Flying Sprite taking out the opening race for 2014 and breaking through for her maiden win.

Things couldn’t have gone much more perfectly for Bray with sister Daddy’s Sprite recovering from a poor start to run on third. 

They lined up alongside each other with Daddy’s Sprite drawing the inside box and Flying Sprite the two. 

Daddy’s Sprite missed the kick but Flying Sprite came out humming. 

She quickly put a couple of lengths on the rest of the field and never looked like being run down. 

“I hope it keeps going,” Bray said of his winning start to the new year. 

It did, with What A Sprite holding on to also record his maiden win in the next race – the Mikeloren Patisserie Maiden (340m). 

Bray bred and owns the litter of which there are four racing, and is the first for mum Watson’s Girl.

That makes it all the more satisfying, Bray said. 

“When you breed them, break them in and race them it’s really good to get them to go,” Bray said. 

Flying Sprite had had five starts before yesterday and been hovering around the money. 

She’d had a second, third and two fourths.

Bray said the difference yesterday was experience.

“She’s only a puppy,” he said.

The black bitch romped home for a five and three quarter length win and clocked 20.30. 

“That’s not a bad time for a maiden, especially in this heat,” Bray said. 

He has her entered for Sunday’s meeting and is setting her for the Armidale carnival. 

“We’ll pick a race there for her,” he said. 

The inside dogs dominated the placings with the Mark Munn-trained Betsure finishing second from the three box.