Chris Waller has been rewarded for opting to take a conservative approach with Pinitio to start the autumn, although he admits to toying with more ambitious plans.
The Godolphin four-year-old posted her first win for the champion trainer in Saturday’s Group 3 Aspiration Quality (1600m) at Randwick after connections decided against raising the bar to Group 1 company in the Coolmore Classic (1500m) next week.
“Her first-up run was excellent. We even thought about running her in a Coolmore, but she had a long time off and she was second-up, so we decided to take the easy steps,” Waller said.
Runner-up in the Queensland Oaks (2200m) last winter, Pinito put the writing on the wall when she resumed with a closing fourth to Cinsault in the Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) on February 21, and Saturday’s Randwick victory was her first at Group level.
Waller said she had taken time to settle in after coming to him from James Cummings but had finally found her groove, and the Epona Stakes (1900m) at Rosehill in a fortnight shaped as her next target.
“The Epona would be perfect,” he said.
“She showed good form in a Queensland Oaks as a three-year-old so if we can gradually get her up in distance that will be a good plus.”
Ridden by James Mcdonald, Pinito ($3.40 fav) unleashed a strong run from back in the field to overhaul Starphistocated ($41) by a half-length, Polymnia ($10) doing best of the rest another 1-1/4 lengths away.
McDonald took confidence from the mare’s first-up performance and knew it was up to him to make her run at the right time.
“Off the last run she showed an incredible turn of foot, so I knew it was going to be there,” McDonald said.
“It was just a matter of timing it right, and she did the rest.”
