The Good Get Going

A developing gelding by Artie Schiller, Pelethronius relished the step up to the mile and soft track to record the stable’s second winner this season and first in NSW.

“I couldn’t wait to get him up to the mile and down in grade a bit from the last start meant I was expecting him to be really competitive” said Pfieffer.

“He likes the soft tracks; after winning on a bog track at Kembla at his first start he was always going to be happy in the ground”.

Costin eased the solid bay to the rear of the field to be one-off the fence in company with Lyrids, having found cover after drawing awkwardly in gate 11. By the 600 metre-mark the pair had improved their position and were rolling into the turn full of running and almost scraping the paint of the outside rail as the field fanned wide.

Despite being three lengths astern of race favourite and leader Autumn, when shown Costin’s whip Pelethronius responded with a tidy sprint to round up the field and win by just under a length pulling away.

“He’s a funny gelding and I let him settle at the back, but he really knuckled down over the concluding stages and won like an improving stayer on the rise” commented Costin.

It was win number two from five starts for Pelethronius, who will now be set for a small rise in class but kept at the mile to hopefully secure another win.

The day almost saw a rare double secured for the team, with the speedy Fort Myer just missing in the Shoalhaven Ex-Servicemen’s Club Maiden over 1100 metres.

Positively ridden by Bobby El-Issa who pushed the gelding forward from the obscure draw, Fort Myer showed plenty of fight to be just beaten by the well-tried Jayaqua from the Michael Smith yard.

Fort Myer had certainly shown he was ready to produce on race day with a comfortable trial win at Warwick Farm and will be now tried again over the sprint distances to shed the niggling maiden status.

The momentum continued into Friday’s trials at Warwick Farm, with Pfieffer’s classy filly Dixie Chick striding out under Tommy Berry to impressively account for her heat over 800 metres.

Despite an average getaway, the mare demonstrated her immense physical progress from an ungainly 3YO filly into the powerful 4YO mare that unleashed an eye-catching turn of foot to come from last.

“I couldn’t be happier with her” said Pfieffer, who added “she trialled like a superstar this morning”.

Pfieffer’s fellow stakes-class mare Denmagic is ready to rumble at Rosehill on Saturday, bringing an exciting week of performances to their anticipated crescendo on Golden Rose day.

The talented Denmagic was terribly unlucky last preparation and should in theory be a multiple group-winning mare, despite only two wins to her name.

The mare was dealt with a hard barrier of 15 but has the services of Tommy Berry on her side and her recent trial was indicative of a big spring ahead for the daughter of Denman.

“She is a big, strong 4YO now and I’ve got big goals for her in Melbourne over the spring” commented her trainer.

“She drew the carpark for the Sheraco but she is a mare with a good sprint so with a bit of luck in running and into the straight I expect her to run well. She is ready to go, looks brilliant, and won’t be there to make up the numbers”.