Trainer Enver Jusufovic has bigger plans in store for Pinstriped after the gelding kept his record intact with a first-up win at The Valley.
After a debut win on heavy ground at Moe, Pinstriped rounded up his opposition on Saturday’s soft track to claim the VOBIS Gold Carat (1200m).
Jusufovic is adamant Pinstriped will be better when he gets on top of the ground and is currently doing it all on raw ability at present.
Sent out the $3 favourite under Michael Dee, Pinstriped scored a half-length win from Danny’s St Darcy ($5.50) with Finance Tycoon ($3.90) a further 1-¼ lengths away third.
Jusufovic said he would enter Pinstriped for the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 5 for which entries close on Monday.
“He’ll improve from that,” Jusufovic said.
“It’ll be interesting what Mick says about it, but I’ll have to put a nom in for the Guineas after that.”
Jusufovic said he was not concerned with where Pinstriped was in the run, knowing the son of Street Boss was a big striding gelding that appreciated the galloping room.
However, he said it is not easy to come to a turning track like The Valley to win at your second start.
Dee, who partnered Pinstriped to his debut win in September, said he could feel the improvement the gelding had made from that outing.
“He’s a more relaxed horse, he’s taken everything in his stride, and he’s matured,” Dee said.
“He has strengthened up, but he still won that race on raw ability.
“I was a little bit concerned that they’d gone steady, and they might have been able to kick, but I let him stride and although he covered more ground than was probably ideal I always felt like I had them covered a long way from home.”
Dee said he could see no reason why not to set Pinstriped for the Australian Guineas with the improvement he had shown from his debut to Saturday’s victory.
