Fred Kersley’s debutant Lite’n In My Veins kicked off his career in the best possible fashion at Ascot Racecourse over the weekend winning in Group 3 company first-up in the Lee Steere Classic 2015.

Run on a Soft (6) track before a storm caused a downgrade before the running of the

, this year’s $150,000 Group 3 Sir Ernest Lee Steere Classic (1400m) featured nine three-year-olds.

Going out as the $4.60 second favourite despite not having had any previous race experience, Kersley’s locally-trained Henrythenavigator gelding Lite’n In My Veins franked the form of his lead-up trials at other tracks with Hong Kong-based jockey Douglas Whyte in the saddle.

Whyte, who won last year’s Kingston Town Classic aboard Moriarty, guided Kersley’s up-and-comer to a half-length victory over the Brian Kersley-trained Fath gelding Yoshi Noxious ($6.50) who was runner-up the run before as well in the Listed Placid Ark Stakes (1200m).

In third a further length back to finish off the Lee Steere Classic trifecta was the Daniel Pearce-trained Pushin’ Shapes ($6), fourth in his three most recent lead-up runs, who had 1.5 lengths to spare over his stablemate and the fourth placed beaten favourite, Placid Ark Stakes winner Let It Slip ($3.40).

It was a very promising start to the career of Lite’n In My Veins who lived up to his potential on the back of a blistering 950m Lark Hill trial win only last Monday and didn’t have a flawless run in the Lee Steere.

Whyte and his young mount looked to be in trouble on straightening when the eventual winner had a hard time getting off the back of frontrunners Remember Berlin and Puteri Jewel who faded to finish seventh and fifth respectively.

Patience paid off however with Lite’n In My Veins eventually getting into the clear to fly home and hold a good margin over the fast finishing Yoshi Noxious who was closing hard down the outside.

The internationally renowned Whyte was full of post-race praise for the Lee Steere Classic champion who he believed was capable of bigger things over the coming months.

“It’s great to be back, it’s a lovely track, and this is a nice horse,” he said.

“I think he is going to get better from here on in, and when he steps up to the mile you will see an even more progressive horse than what you saw today.

“It’s not easy for a first timer to win over 1400 let alone in Group 3 company, and I’d be surprised in a year’s time if you don’t see him at Group 1 level.”

Hall of Famer Kersley was cautious about the tough first-up assignment for Lite’n In My Veins but he needn’t have worried.

“It’s a huge ask for a horse to bounce out of trials no further than 1000m to a 1400m black-type race,” Kersley told The West Australian on Saturday morning.

“Clearly he’ll be exposed in fitness and experience. He’s a promising horse, but you don’t know how he’ll measure up.”

But measure up the horse did, Lite’n In My Veins who could run again this Perth Summer Racing Carnival before being sent out ahead of an autumn – winter return.

Back you favourite runners in Perth and around the country over the summer season online through Ladbrokes.com.au who offered Best Tote or SP + 20% on the Kingston Town Classic this year!

2015 Lee Steere Classic Results

Ascot Race 2 – 05/12/2015

Place	#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Br.	Wgt.	SP
1	5	LITE’N IN MY VEINS	Fred Kersley	Douglas Whyte	–	2	56.5kg	$4.60
2	3	YOSHI NOXIOUS	Brian Kersley	Brad Parnham	0.5L	6	56.5kg	$6.50
3	2	PUSHIN’ SHAPES	Daniel Pearce	Jarrad Noske	1.5L	3	56.5kg	$6
4	6	LET IT SLIP	Daniel Pearce	Peter Hall	3L	8	54.5kg	$3.40F
5	8	PUTERI JEWEL	Simon A Miller	Chris Parnham	3.5L	9	54.5kg	$16
6	1	LORD CONRAD	Mike Storer	Damien Oliver	3.5L	4	56.5kg	$21
7	4	REMEMBER BERLIN	Simon A Miller	Peter Knuckey	4.5L	7	56.5kg	$11
8	9	TOTAL ECLIPSE	Grant Williams	William Pike	6.75L	1	54.5kg	$10
9	7	KENTUCKY LASS	Neville Parnham	Steven Parnham	8.5L	5	54.5kg	$20