Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Speedy pacer Pinny Tiger is on song to run a great race in the $50,000 Bunbury Cup on March 30, and his part-owner and trainer Michael Brennan declared that the six-year-old would be at his peak for the 2569m event after scoring an effortless victory in the 2130m Entertainment With Horsepower Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Pinny Tiger, the $1.30 favourite, sped straight to the front from barrier six and was not extended in setting a brisk pace and winning by seven metres from Arma Einstein ($8), with $7 chance Finvarra a neck away in third place.
Star reinsman Chris Voak praised Pinny Tiger, saying: “He ran the final three quarters in 28.7sec., 27.3sec. and 28.3sec. and I’m confident that he will improve.
“Pinny Tiger felt really good tonight, but he wanted to get strong at the 900m. In other races in which I’ve led with him I’ve held him back before letting him run at the 600m. Tonight, I let him rate himself from the 900m and he was still strong on the line. There was a tail wind in the back straight but there was a head wind on the way home.”
Brennan said that Pinny Tiger would improve on Friday night’s effort before contesting the Bunbury Cup. “When he’s like that and on song he is poetry in motion,” he said. “He ran the gate quick and then settled, which was pleasing. And he’s done that with the ear plugs in.”
Brennan said that he had decided to run Pinny Tiger in Friday night’s race instead of in the $50,000 Mount Eden Sprint over 1684m at Pinjarra on Monday because he considered that running in a sprint before the Bunbury Cup would not be ideal.
“Pinny Tiger is an elite horse and obviously we would love to have him in the field for the Nullarbor slot race (on April 19),” said Brennan. “We have no great plans for Pinny Tiger; we will just let him do the talking.”
Pinny Tiger has earned $267,796 from 17 wins, eleven seconds and one third from 46 starts.