Pinhole has secured a start in the Caulfield Cup following his victory in the Herbert Power Stakes, though trainer Chris Waller is leaning towards a different staying test for the imported galloper.
The four-year-old claimed the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) on Saturday, with connections quickly looking ahead to next week’s Caulfield Cup.
However, Waller indicated he would likely take a more conservative route, aiming for the Melbourne Cup via a run in either the Geelong Cup, Moonee Valley Cup, or Bendigo Cup.
Sent out as the $3.70 favourite under jockey James McDonald, Pinhole won a thrilling finish by a short-half-head over Suntora ($26), with Knight’s Choice ($7) a short-head further back in third.
Pinhole is eligible for a rehandicap for the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 3, where he carries 51kg and is equal 66th in the Order of Entry.
“I’ll have a talk to the owners, but it is (the Caulfield Cup) unlikely,” Waller said.
“The Caulfield Cup will be stronger than today, and the Melbourne Cup might see him improve going to two miles. Everyone wants to win Caulfield Cups, but whether you can is another story. If we can get to a Melbourne Cup, that might be a real fairytale story. We might try and find a path heading that way, but we will have to talk to the owners and the handicapper.”
Purchased from Tattersalls Sale in the UK last year, Pinhole had a campaign in Sydney during the autumn and winter, scoring at Randwick in June.
This campaign, Pinhole resumed running third over 1600m at Randwick before winning over 1800m at Randwick last month.
“One thing he was, he was good at the weights today,” Waller commented.
“The set-weights and penalties were against him. He’s ruined his benchmark, but he’s proven himself as a set-weights and penalties style horse. It was an important day today for this horse’s future and where he heads. The market got it right. I was surprised to see him one of the favourites in a set weights and penalties race as he was sort of out of his grade.”
Waller stated that the most pleasing aspect of Saturday’s victory was Pinhole’s straight running in the home straight.
“In Sydney he wanted to lay in, and it almost cost him last start,” Waller recalled.
“Going straight, here in Melbourne, was the most impressive thing to me.”
With Pinhole now qualified for the Caulfield Cup, the race is on to see where he will be placed next, with betting on the major races already underway.
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