Racing: Pinarello springing into action for autumn

Pinarello's spring campaign is all about autumn. Photo / Trish Dunell

Pinarello could be the heir to New Zealand racing's throne but he isn't going to be given the chance to claim it this spring.

Although the exciting four-year-old starts a campaign at Rosehill in Sydney on Saturday worth nearly $2 million, his trainers say this spring is all about next autumn.

The top end of New Zealand thoroughbred racing was shorn of more outstanding horses last season than in almost any year in history, with 13 Group 1 performers retiring last term, including by far our best racehorse in Probabeel.

She raced in the same colours as Pinarello, who is one of the high-class four-year-olds now looking to fill the shoes of those who have gone, sitting alongside Imperatriz, La Crique, Dark Destroyer and possibly eventually Asterix as the new kids on the block, with established stars such as Levante and Coventina Bay.

Pinarello looked high class on a couple of occasions last season but stamped himself a real force when he won the Queensland Derby in May, beating among others Dark Destroyer, who won the Tarzino Trophy fresh two weeks ago.

"Seeing Dark Destroyer do that boosted our confidence about what we have to work with," says Pinarello's co-trainer Robert Wellwood. "And we couldn't be happier with how he has come up; he looks great and trialled well last week.

"But we [he and training partner Roger James] and the owners don't want him to have a big spring, so he won't be aiming at the Group 1s this campaign."

To that end, Pinarello kicks off in the A$250,000 Shannon Stakes on Saturday before contesting two A$750,000 races below the elite level in the next five weeks, with the plan to have him home and in a lush Waikato paddock by November.

"They are still good races worth great money but we think this campaign won't tax him too much and can give us an indication of what to aim at in the autumn, whether that is in Melbourne or Sydney," he says.

Pinarello has weight-for-age X-factor with that class edge that the best of those bred on the Tavistock-Zabeel cross ooze, and it looks like owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay have found their next serious horse, one who could challenge to be New Zealand's best horse within a year.

He will probably find the 1500m too short but comes in well enough in the handicaps in what is not an intimidating field.

Closer to home, the James-Wellwood stable is slowly warming back up while trying to avoid the wettest tracks, as winter won't fully relinquish its grasp on racing to the warmer embrace of spring.

"We have Apostrophe [R4, No 7] in at Ruakaka and she is a good mare who could end up heading to the Couplands Mile if she races well. But it's not an easy field," says Wellwood.

The stable will also wait to see how next week's weather for Hastings develops before committing to the Hawke's Bay Guineas with Prowess.

Saturday's Ruakaka meeting boasts a decent open grade 1400m and a snappy three-year-old race, while at Awapuni, the $85,000 feature over 1550m looks ideal second up for Secret Armour (R7, No 6).

On Sunday, much of the New Zealand attention turns to Sandown in Victoria, where Dragon Leap is favourite for the A$200,000 Sandown Stakes, and Catalyst and I Wish I Win meet in the last race.