Dom Toretto is Fast and Furious!

Exciting NSW sit-sprinter Dom Toretto, named after one of the chief protagonists of the Fast & Furious film franchise, is certainly living up to his name.

The New Zealand-bred Sweet Lou five-year-old registered his sixth win on Australian soil—and his sixth at Menangle—when he took full advantage of a soft trip to sprint past a handy field in 1:53.6 on May 31.

The gelding has now chalked up nine wins and 17 placings from 53 lifetime starts for $136,943 in stakes. He boasts a sharp mile rate of 1:52.7.

Dom Toretto was bred by Papakura couple Paul and Mary Kenny, co-owners of North Island breeding powerhouse Woodlands Stud, who knocked him down for $25,000 at the NZB National Yearling Sale at Karaka in 2021.

He began his racing career with Ardmore father-and-son team Brian (Bunty) and Gareth Hughes, placing in two of eight starts as a three-year-old. The following season he picked up three victories—two at Manawatu and one at Auckland—alongside five seconds from 17 starts, before being sold to NSW interests last September.

“Dom Toretto first drew serious attention in his adopted homeland when he claimed a heat of the time-honoured Carousel Series at Menangle, later finishing a creditable second in the $50,000 Final.”

And there’s plenty in his pedigree to suggest that performances like that won’t be his last.

The gelding is the second live foal of Lady Smack, an unraced Bettor’s Delight half-sister to the champion mare The Orange Agent—six-time Group 1 winner and both NZ 3YO Filly of the Year and Aged Mare of the Year—as well as former Australasian three-year-old fillies’ mile record-holder Cheesy Fingers.

Her first foal, Ideal Agent (by American Ideal), won four races in New Zealand including the 2021 Cambridge Gold Cup Final. He was later sold to clients of Greg and Skye Bond’s Perth stable and added another 14 victories, highlighted by the 2022 WA Easter Cup, 2024 Mount Eden Sprint and 2024 Petricevich Memorial. He retired with $304,125 in stakes.

Next, to the cover of Downbytheseaside, Lady Smack left Splashem, a $25,000 yearling who qualified as a three-year-old at Rangiora on Tuesday for Russley horsewoman Laura McKay.

She has since produced a two-year-old filly by Downbytheseaside named Smackdown, purchased by Melbourne businessman Harvey Kaplan for $45,000 at the 2023 National Weanling Sale.

“Lady Smack was later sold in foal to Downbytheseaside to prominent Perth breeders Kevin and Annette Charles, but sadly the foal did not survive.” She now has a Captaintreacherous weanling colt at foot and is back in foal to the same stallion.