PINMEDOWN WINS STYLISHLY AT HASTINGS

Following the win by three-year-old colt Arrogant (Ocean Park) last Friday at Matamata, another promising three-year-old, Pinmedown (3 f Pins – Alleyway, by Oregon), also broke through early in her career with a stylish victory in the $10,000 Robyn Mactaggart Cup on 12 December at Hastings.

Ridden by in form jockey Cameron Lammas, who also guided Arrogant to win by three and three-quarter lengths, Pinmedown was given time to find her feet, settling three back on the outer, five lengths 600m, and had to be good to make up the leeway off a slow tempo. Winding up to the outside of three horses over the final 100m, she was dominant late in the piece.

Although co-trainer Pam Gerard feels Pinmedown will be more effective on better footing, she had found the line strongly for fifth in two previous starts, both on dead ground, and let down pretty well again on Dead6.

In beating race favourite Monkey Shoulder (Savabeel), Pinmedown paid $3.90 & $2.30 on the NZ TAB tote and ran the 1400 metres in 1:26.7.

Pinmedown had resumed with a very good performance in the Maiden Fillies & Mares 1400 metres on 25 November at Te Rapa, getting back and finishing strongly for a close fifth, after running the fastest last 600m (34.8) in a very good form race at her sole start as a two-year-old.

Owned by Savvy Racing Blues Syndicate (Mgr: Keith McDonald), Lois & Mike Wilson, Noel Gurney, Richard Sims, Adrian Mathieson, Rob Alderson, Ken & Bev Cherry, and Ballymore New Zealand, Pinmedown was selected as a yearling by Paul Moroney and purchased for $28,000 at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Select Sale, from the draft of Ardsley Stud, who prepared the horse for breeder Pat Lowry.

“She’s been a nice filly all along and we’ve been patient,” Gerard said.

“Obviously, Mike (Moroney) and Paul (Moroney) buy these staying type fillies; they love staying horses. They bought her at the sales and I had a look and thought ‘what the hell have they bought’, but I have to eat my words because she’s grown into a really nice filly.

“She’s got fantastic breeding and could be an Oaks filly. She can still get a bit hot and has to work it out mentally, but we’ll just place her in some races for three-year-old fillies over Christmas and I think she can pick up something.”

Rider Cameron Lammas said: “She’s still got to learn a bit more to stay, because she was a bit keen early, but I’ve liked her since she was a two-year-old when I rode her in her first start. She’s got bigger and stronger and had a nice, easy kill today.”

Pinmedown is a three-quarter sister to Hong Kong Horse of the Year (twice) Ambitious Dragon (Pins), who won 13 races, including six Group One, and the equivalent of NZ$10.9 million in prize money. While their sire, Pins (Snippets), was twice crowned Champion Sire in Hong Kong, largely due to the feats of Ambitious Dragon.

The dam side of the family has left some very talented and classy performers. Obviously Ambitious Dragon, but also stakes winning mares Roxon (Postponed), Delightful (Omnicorp), and the very good producer Sky Mist (Sky Chase).

Pinmedown was strapped by Hayley Ashcroft.