Giant killer Va Pensiero repeated his last start winning effort with an all the way win in the Group 3 $125,000 MTA NSW Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill today.
Va Pensiero, (navy blue, white cap), holds off Dissident (white, striped sleeves) in the Run To The Rose at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Va Pensiero won at big odds in the Group 3 $125,000 Smithfield RSL Club San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill two weeks ago but that didn’t stop the Jason Coyle trained colt being sent out at the huge odds of $31.
Nathan Berry worked forward from a wide barrier and let Va Pensiero stride to the front and was able to hold on in the run to the line to score by a neck over the fast finishing Dissident ($9.50) with Marseille Roulette ($41) battling on for third.
After being slow to leave the barriers, Zoustar made up some ground in the straight to finish in fourth spot.
Coyle will meet with his owners to decide if Va Pensiero will take his place in the Group 1 $1m Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill in two weeks or turn their attention to the Melbourne Spring Carnival and the Group 1 $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) down the Flemington straight on November 2.
“We’ll have a chat with the owners about the Flemington straight 1200m,” Coyle said.
“I’ll take him home now and see how he pulls up.”
Favourite Eurozone ($4.60) was caught wide just behind the leaders and faded in the straight to wind up in eighth spot.
And the Peter Snowden trained Sidestep ($4.80) was always well back in the field and failed to beat a runner home in the fourteen horse field.
