Cox Plate winner Pinker Pinker is primed for her return to Sydney in Saturday’s Group 1 $350,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm.
Trainer Greg Eurell will send Pinker Pinker to Sydney on Friday after giving her final workout for the week at Cranbourne this morning.
The four year old mare who has a second in the Group 1 $500,000 Racingnetwork.com.au Epsom (1600m) and a third in the Group 1 $550,000 Patinack Farm AJC Oaks (2400m) both at Randwick last year worked over 1200m and improved to the line over the final 400m.
“She did her final bit of work this morning and I was very, very happy with what she did,” Eurell said.
“Her recovery was good, her fitness levels are nice and all things being equal she’s exactly where I want her to be for this race.”
Eurell gave Pinker Pinker a solid gallop on Monday and topped that off with her pleasing work this morning.
Pinker Pinker didn’t fare the best in the barrier draw but Eurell is not too concerned with the outside gate in the nine horse field.
“I’m not too concerned about the draw. With that amount of horses, even though smaller fields can sometimes be tricky, if they roll along a bit it should give her a chance to get into an OK spot,” Eurell said.
“Nine out of nine is not ideal but it’s not disastrous and I’m sure once I’ve had a chat to Blake (Shinn) we’ll be able to work out a game plan.”
Jockey Blake Shinn is confident he will recover from a nasty barrier trial fall at Rosehill on Tuesday and be fit to ride on Saturday.
It was originally thought that Shinn had broken his ankle but after x-rays at Westmead Hospital he was cleared of any breaks.
Shinn took the day off from his rides at Wyong today to give himself every chance of being fit for Saturday.
The Melbourne Cup winning jockey is having his first ride on Pinker Pinker replacing Craig Williams who is staying in Melbourne for the Australian Cup meeting at Flemington.
Williams is riding the John O’Shea trained Foxwedge in the Group 1 $1m Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m) and Caulfield Cup winner Southern Speed in the Group 1 $1m Dubai Australian Cup (2000m).
Pinker Pinker is having her second run back from a spell and will be striving to keep her second up record of three form three in tact.
Her first up run in the Group 1 $500,000 Cathay Pacific Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 25 when second to Mufhasa was good in a slowly run race and the prospect of more rain in Sydney during the week should not affect her chances.
