DOOM MAR 27 - PINS ON PARADE SCORES FLUENT WIN

By Graham Potter | Monday, March 29, 2010

Doomben, March 27, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - Out 4.5m.
Open Handicap - 1020m. Time: 57.99. (Carrying 58kg)
1 Pins On Parade; 2 Monashee Dancer; 3 Sequallan.

Newcastle based trainer Kris Lees had hardly missed a beat when it comes to finding a suitable race for his runners in Brisbane. Lees has established a healthy strike-rate which commands respect in the punting market and Pins On Parade was the latest of his runners to take away the cash when the gelding scored a fluent win at Doomben on Saturday.

In fact it was a bit of repeat business for the five-year-old gelding who won on his only previous visit to Brisbane when outgunning Heart Of The Citi over 1200m at Doomben back in August 2009.

You didn’t need speed maps to tell you how this race was going to unfold. The search for speed stopped at the name of Monashee Dancer and the grey duly went about his business the way he knows best as he speared to the head of affairs soon after the start.

Surprisingly, Shakeva went with Monashee Dancer. That is not normally a policy that pays dividends as Monashee Dancer’s high cruising speed comes with a sustained kick in the home straight that is difficult to match.

Shakeva’s presence up front provided more than nuisance value to Monashee Dancer. Shakeva put some pressure on the grey when she went up eyeball it early in the running and she gave Monashee Dancer some more to think about when she had the audacity to shade the favourite by a neck in the sweep to the turn.

That scenario was playing right into the hands of Pins On Parade who sat in third spot taking a comfortable trial just a couple of lengths off the lead all the way until the turn.

Pengelly wasted no time in switching Pins On Parade out across heels into clear running on straightening and, realising that Monashee Dancer was going to keep going, the rider immediately pushed Pins On Parade into chase mode.

As Shakeva began to falter, Pins On Parade produced a winning turn of foot between the from the 200m mark which carried him up to and past the ever-game Monashee Dancer with 100m left to run at which stage it was ‘race over’.

Monashee Dance stayed on for second while Sequallan went past Shakeva in the concluding stages to earn third place.

Pins On Parade is now a seven time winner from twenty-five starts. During this time he has amasses an enviable stake-earnings total which is now closing in on $400000.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Brad Pengelly: “The only issue was whether the 1020 would be too short.

“I couldn’t see Monashee Dancer finishing as close in a Listed race down in Sydney as my fellow (Pins On Parade finished second to Court in the Listed Carrington Stakes at Randwick in January), so he really had to win if he handled the distance.

“It was a nice speed. I was able to give him a cushy run. I just peeled out when I wanted to and he accelerated nice to the line.

“Throughout the years I’ve ridden a number of winners for Kris (Lees). I actually won on Motspur at the Gold Coast for him last week. He’s brought a couple of horses up here and been successful, so it’s nice to be able to ride for those guys.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Pins On Parade): 3.30 out to 3.60.
Favourite (Monashee Dancer): 3.10 out to 3.30 in to 3.10. Finished second.

STERWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
When questioned regarding his riding of Shakeva, J. Bowditch stated that after being a little slow to begin, he urged the horse forward in order to take up a position close to the lead.

He further explained that a short distance after the start when it became evident Monashee Dancer was going to lead unchallenged, he felt it was in the best interests of his horse to take a position to the outside of Monashee Dancer.

J. Bowditch added that Shakeva raced keenly through the middle stages, however was reluctant to restrain it as he had ridden it on a previous occasion and is best suited when allowed to run along.

A post-race veterinary examination of German Chocolate revealed the horse to sore in the near-fore fetlock. Trainer J. Waters was advised that he must provide a veterinary clearance for the horse prior to its next race start.