The Gai Waterhouse trained Pornichet will head to the Doncaster Mile after scoring a dominant win in the Group 3 $150,000 The Sunday Telegraph Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill today.
Pornichet will now head to the Doncaster Mile after winning the Neville Sellwood Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Pornichet was the second winner for the day for the Waterhouse stable after taking out the Group 3 $150,000 Hyland Race Colours Doncaster Prelude (1500m) with Excess Knowledge while Shinn also made it a winning double after saluting on Fenway in the Group 1 $400,000 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m).
Waterhouse was very excited after the last and said that Pornichet will have no trouble backing up in the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick next week on the first day of ‘The Championships’.
“This horse is going to the Doncaster,” Waterhouse said.
“He is very exciting. I loved the way Blake just had him third on the fence, before the turn he just slid out and just exploded. He was the winner from the top of the straight.”
“That was the exciting thing about him.”
“I have always had a big opinion of him.”
Winning rider Blake Shinn gave Pornichet ($3.60 favourite) the run of race, third on the fence, before easing him out in the straight to give him a clear run to the line, but gave most of the credit for the win to Waterhouse.
“She got him cherry ripe for today.” Shinn said.
“She is pretty good at that, Gai.”
“He’s a classy horse and showed that in the Spring and it’s taken him a little while to get fit but he is there now and should go on with it.”
Our Voodoo Prince ($15) ran home well to finish one and three quarter lengths behind the winner with Hawkspur ($9) also coming from well back in the field to be a neck away in the third spot.
