Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas’ Adelaide-trained raider Nearest To Pin was there to swoop after the odds-on favourite Vain Queen faded for an upset win in Saturday’s 2014 All Victorian Sprint Series Final at Flemington Racecourse.
2014 All Victorian Sprint Final winner Nearest To Pin from Adelaide upset the locals at Flemington. Photo: Jenny Barnes.
John Sadler’s Artie Schiller mare Vain Queen, coming off back-to-back wins, jumped at a short $1.60 in the markets for this year’s $150,000 Listed All Victorian Sprint Series Final (1200m).
Despite the form and her price, and looking a real threat with 300m left to travel, the Glen Boss-ridden favourite faded over the closing stages and could only manage to finish two and three quarter lengths off the winner.
That winner was Nicholas Hall’s mount Nearest To Pin ($13) who was there battling it out with Mick Price’s Le Bonsir, coming off a Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) second from the previous Saturday, over the final couple of hundred metres.
On the line Nearest To Pin eventually had a long neck to spare over Le Bonsir ($12) while a further one and a half lengths away in third was the Pat Hyland-trained Shanghai Warrior ($10).
It was a smart Finals Day upset from the South Australian visitor over the field of local Victorian-trained sprinters, and one co-trainer Gluyas was happy to enjoy after only putting their horse in the race after nominations were extended last week.
“We thought it was worth a shot, his form was good and his winter racing has been excellent,” he told Racing Victoria.
“We entered him into a race in Adelaide – we didn’t enter him here originally, he came in as a late (nomination) – but the numbers said to us, ‘let’s have a crack’.
“These sort of races are there to have a crack at and today it’s worked out for us.”
Helping to get the horse to the winning post first was Hall’s decision to swap hands with the whip.
“He appreciated the whip in the left and was strong to the line,” Hall said of the four-year-old Golden Lake gelding.
“He just started to hang in a little bit, but I corrected him and when I did he changed lead (leg) and was really, really good.”
Nearest To Pin has now won eight of their 23 career starts, Saturday’s $90,000 winner’s cheque taking their total career earnings up over $300,000.
They could now be in line for some of the weaker sprint features this coming Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival after a freshen-up having raced well all throughout the All Victorian Sprint Series this campaign, Saturday’s win their first in black-type company.
See below for the full All Victorian Sprint Series Final 2014 results, then head to Ladbrokes.com.au to place your next racing or sports bet online at the best price!
2014 All Victorian Sprint Series Final Finishing Order
Flemington Race 4 – 12/07/2014
| Place | # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Br. | Wgt. | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | NEAREST TO PIN | Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas | Nicholas Hall | – | 9 | 55kg (cd 55.5kg) | $13 |
| 2 | 2 | LE BONSIR | Mick Price | Daniel Moor | 0.2L | 5 | 59kg | $12 |
| 3 | 5 | SHANGHAI WARRIOR | Pat Hyland | Ben Melham | 1.7L | 3 | 56.5kg | $10 |
| 4 | 6 | VAIN QUEEN | John Sadler | Glen Boss | 2.7L | 7 | 56.5kg | $1.60F |
| 5 | 4 | PILLAR OF CREATION | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | Damian Lane | 2.9L | 2 | 57kg | $7.50 |
| 6 | 9 | FELIDEA | Leon Corstens | Chris Symons | 5.4L | 4 | 54kg | $71 |
| 7 | 10 | CORSICA LAD | Brett Cavanough | Craig Newitt | 6.65L | 8 | 54kg | $12 |
| 8 | 3 | BROKEN | Darren Weir | Ms Michelle Payne | 6.85L | 1 | 57.5kg | $41 |
| 9 | 8 | KOE (NZ) | Terry & Karina O’Sullivan | Dwayne Dunn | 7.35L | 6 | 54kg | $71 |
| – | 1 | READY TO RIP | Peter G Moody | Luke Nolen | – | 0 | – | – |
