Catch The Thief Steals The Show In WA Derby

SIMPLY awesome.

That's the most fitting way to describe Catch The Thief's stunning victory in Saturday night's Group 2 Britton's Formal Wear WA Derby Final (520m) at Cannington.

With a hot field assembled for the $32,000 to-the-winner aged classic it was always going to take a spectacular performance to claim the group 2 feature.

But spectacular doesn't even begin to explain the exploits of Catch The Thief at Cannington on Saturday night, the son of Aussie Infrared and Dundee Alley peeling off sizzling sectionals before stopping the clock in a race record 29.32.

It was a brilliant exhibition of sustained speed, rattling the clock at every juncture, something only the extra-special ones can do.

Trained by Victorian mentor Matthew Clark, Catch The Thief's WA campaign had been entrusted to top local trainers Steve and Krystal Shinners, the pair delivering for Clark and owner Louie Cardillo in spades.

Ironically, it was the Shinners-trained Buster The Brute that finished second in Saturday night's Derby, the second straight year they've filled the runner-up position following It's a Storm's second last year to National Sprint hero Premium Share.

Finishing third in the group 2 decider was the Dave Hobby-trained Recap Monelli, while race favourite Tommy Shelby was never out of trouble from box six.

Saturday night's barnstorming Derby success sets Catch The Thief up for a huge second half of 2020.

If he hadn't already, the big striding fawn flyer not only won the west with his Derby heroics but also confirmed he's a budding superstar of the Australian sprinting ranks.

Winner at 11 of his 18 appearances, Catch The Thief recorded the outrageous splits of 5.34 and 18.03 en route to his 29.32 victory.

There's no substitute for speed and that was on full display Saturday night.

The watershed group 2 victory also continues the meteoric rise at stud of Aussie Infrared, with Catch The Thief's success coming 24 hours after Ebby Infrared set Richmond alight to take out the Ladbrokes Super Series Final in a flying 30.36.