Queensland Derby (Group 1)

CO-TRAINERS Roger James and Robert Wellwood landed last Saturday’s Group 1 Queensland Derby over Eagle Farm’s 2,400 metres with the Tarzino gelding Pinarello who races in the colours of Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s Cambridge Stud.

Fifth in the New Zealand Derby in March before winning the Group 2 Championship Stakes at Pukekohe, Pinarello was on the third line of betting having not run for a month prior the Derby with Leith Innes taking the ride.

Cleverly negotiating barrier 17 of 18, Innes had Pinarello one off the fence with a lap to go. Approaching the final bend, Pinarello loomed into the race to take the lead on straightening up.

Running right to the line, only the Savabeel gelding Paternal could threaten, failing by a head. Third was the Vadamos gelding Caboche to make it a New Zealand-bred trifecta.

“He was actually going to go home and spell after the New Zealand Derby,” said James. “Fortunately, it was Karaka sales week and we couldn’t get a float. After a week at home I thought, ‘Holy hell this horse has come through it well’ and I decided to keep him in and here is the result.

Pretty special

“I’ve run second and third in this Derby previously. I’ve been placed in Sydney Derbys as well and I’ve won five in New Zealand. To win one in Australia is pretty special.”

Bought in at $300,000 at the Karaka Yearling sales Pinarello is bred on a Tarzino-Zabeel cross which to date has produced three Derby winners, an Oaks winner and 13 stakes-winners in total.

As a bookmark to the win, 44-year-old Leith Innes announced his retirement from the saddle on dismounting.

“I want to go out on my terms and that’s one of the best rides of my career,” said Innes. “I’m done. I won’t be changing my mind. I’m retired.”

Shock as Huetor slays Zaaki

Doomben Cup (Group 1)

THE French-bred Huetor produced possibly the upset of the year, downing the $1.25 favourite and three-time Group 1 victor Zaaki to win the A$1 million Group 1 Doomben Cup over 2,100 metres at Eagle Farm on Saturday in course record time.

With 300 metres to run Zaaki loomed up to the lead to take charge, and it only appeared a matter of how far he would win by.

Along the rail though, came the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Huetor who with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle ran down Zaaki who’d begun to fade inside the final 100 metres.

On the line, the five-year-old Archipenko gelding won by a half-length from the fast-finishing Galileo horse Maximal in the Juddmonte colours, as Zaaki wilted to finish nearly two lengths from the winner in third.

“He is a lovely horse in the making and that was such a great performance today,” said McEvoy of Huetor who last raced for Carlos Laffon-Parias at Longchamp in June 2021, winning four of his six starts in Australia since.

Apache Chase flies in Kingsford Smith

Kingsford Smith Cup (Group 1)

“HE means the world to me now. I dared to dream, but I thought if a horse could get me a Group 1, this horse would,” relayed an emotional Desleigh Forster after witnessing Apache Chase lead all the way to win the Kingsford Smith Cup over 1,300 metres at Eagle Farm on Saturday, her first Group 1 win.

“All I said to J. Byrne was, ‘Don’t go slow, use his action, use his speed, use his gate, dig him, send him, get to the three (furlong mark) and let him go. If they’re good enough to run past him, but if they’re not, too bad’,” Forster added.

Winning by a head with Jim Byrne up, the Better Than Ready gelding defeated the Dawn Approach colt Paulele with Eleven Eleven, a Fastnet Rock gelding third.

The A$1.5 million Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap on June 11th now beckons for Apache Chase in which he led last year before fading to 13th as a three-year-old.