Ahoy mateys! We have a new Ballarat 450-metre track record holder… It’s ‘swashbuckling’ speedster Pirate Pete.

Trained at Pearcedale by Jason Thompson, Pirate Pete ‘stole’ superstar Shima Shine’s mark last night.

Pirate Pete ($1.30F) defeated the Andrea Dailly-trained Tiberia Bale ($11.20) by 6.8L and clocked a staggering 24.70sec – lowering the 24.75sec time standard, set on August 28 last year, by almost one length.

WATCH: Marauding Pirate Pete (8) clocks a scintillating new 450m track record of 24.70sec at Ballarat.

Thompson said the record didn’t come out of the blue but conceded it was one of those nights where the stars aligned.

“It was quite mild, actually beautiful conditions and the track was in top order.” he said. “He was also drawn to perfection and everything came together for him.”

But he did add the new track record had to be put into context.

“It’s a feather in his cap, but there’s no way he’s a faster dog than Shima Shine.”

Pirate Pete’s performance was also a perfect ‘Ballarat Cup trial’. (The G2 Ballarat Cup series commences with heats on December 5.)

“That run shows he’ll be competitive in the series,” Thompson said.

Pirate Pete (Oct ’18 Dyna Tron x Luzaka Icon) has won eight races from 18 starts but has only been in Thompson’s kennels for the past nine, of which he’s won six – including the past five ‘pillages’ in a row.

“He came to me in great condition and has really settled in well,” Thompson said.

Pawnote: Owned by the Three Legged syndicate, managed by David Bourke, Pirate Pete was only three-quarters of a length off Hard Style Rico’s 24.77sec Shepparton 450m track record on November 9.