The James Cummings trained Pinito simply does not know how to run a bad race and she found further reward for her consistency when she took out the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet in extremely trying conditions.
This was as far as the meeting with the last race (the Bat Out Of Hell) being abandoned because of the adverse conditions.
“I had three sets of goggles and a visor, it was very difficult to see, but I knew I was on the back of the right horse. We got a good drag into the race and we were able to flow into it,” said winning jockey Jason Collett.
The fact that Pinito thrived in the conditions while many others faltered was emphasised by the way the Godolphin runner’s race unfolded after going back to last place, all of ten lengths off the speed, in the first half of the race,
Once Collett asked Pinito to improve her position, tracking a fast moving forward path out four wide on the track, Pinito response was a telling one with the chestnut filly accelerating around runners, seemingly with the minimum of fuss, to arrive at the turn in second place with only the $21 outsider Amplify standing between her and victory.
The win was there for the taking, but Pinito still had to earn it as Amplify dug in for the fight … and that two-way battle extended all the way from the 300m mark until there was just 120m left to run at which stage Pinito was finally able to assert her authority, pulling clear from the weakening Amplify to ultimately land a convincing victory by 3.30 lengths.
Of the rest, only Sun Worshipper, also a $21 chance, finished within thirteen lengths of Pinito, claiming third place, 6.60 lengths back.
James Cummings confirmed post-race that Pinito will now be set to go to The Roses and then, all being well, the Winter Carnival plan for Pinito will extend to the Queensland Oaks.
Pinito has yet to finish out of the first three places with her current race record being … two, wins, four runner-up finishes and four third places in ten starts.
