Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Exciting speedster Pinny Tiger went close to equalling former superstar Chicago Bull’s track record for 1730m when he thrilled the crowd at Gloucester Park on Friday night with a dazzling exhibition of sheer speed to score a runaway victory in the Joe and Margaret Petricevich Memorial Nights Of Thunder heat one.
Produced in great shape by Coolup trainer Michael Brennan and driven with supreme confidence by Michael Grantham, the powerful five-year-old burst straight to the front from the No. 6 barrier and left his seven rivals struggling to keep in touch.
He was the $1.60 favourite and romped home to win by 11m from the fast-finishing Talks Up A Storm ($34), rating 1.51.8 which was just shy of Chicago Bull’s track record of 1.51.6 set when he beat Soho Tribeca by a head in the Mount Eden Sprint on October 20, 2017.
“Pinny Tiger did what I expected him to do,” said Brennan. “Michael (Grantham) said that if something had come at him he still had gears left.
“He needed the run. I’ve been a little bit kind to him. He had a good trial at Pinjarra when they ran good time. But he was still a little bit underdone, and that race will tighten him up nicely for the final next Friday night.
“The barrier draw in the final doesn’t really matter. If he doesn’t lead it will not be a problem. He’s also got lethal speed when he’s sat up. He is the complete racehorse.”
Brennan purchased Pinny Tiger for $53,000 at the 2019 Melbourne yearling sale, and the Mach Three gelding now has raced for Brennan and several stable clients 34 times for 13 wins, ten seconds and stakes of $178,138.