Lightly raced filly Pinot put in a great trial for the VRC Oaks with an all the way win in the Group 3 $150,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Ethereal Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield today.
Pinot, above, wins the Ethereal Stakes at Cauulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Winning jockey Stephen Baster let Pinot ($5.50 equal favourite) stride to the front from an outside barrier and the filly travelled well in front and had plenty left in the run home to record a comfortable win in the end.
The Lindsay Park trained Rimraam was one of the outsiders of the field at $21 but ran home for second while Hiyaam ($7.50) ran another honest to fill third spot.
Baster is riding in great form and the win on Pinot was his second for the day for Tulloch Lodge trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott after they all combined to take out the first race on Caulfield Cup Day with Our Crown Mistress winning the Resimax Group Plate.
Waterhouse said that Pinot was a tough progressive filly and will now be aimed towards the Group 1 $1m Kennedy (VRC) Oaks (2500m) at Flemington on November 9.
“I loved the way she was able to come over from an outside alley,” Waterhouse said.
“He (Stephen Baster) just took his time and once he got there the pace of the race slowed up and she just did what she does so well.”
“When she came down from Sydney six weeks I said that I was determined to win the VRC Oaks. This filly was beaten at her first start but every time she kept improving.”
Equal favourite Teodora ($5.50) ran a solid race to fill fourth spot after being caught wide racing back in the field.
Check out the updated 2017 VRC Oaks odds on the Ethereal Stakes winner Pinot now at Ladbrokes.com.au.
2017 Ethereal Stakes Results & Finishing Order
Caulfield Race 3 – 21/10/2017
| Place | # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Br. | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | PINOT | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Stephen Baster | – | 15 | 55kg | $5.50EF |
| 2 | 10 | RIMRAAM (NZ) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Chad Schofield | 1.75L | 5 | 55kg | $21 |
| 3 | 5 | HIYAAM (NZ) | Mick Price | Michael Dee | 2.75L | 6 | 55kg | $7.50 |
| 4 | 12 | TEODORA | Darren Weir | Mark Zahra | 5L | 4 | 55kg | $5.50EF |
| 5 | 4 | SPEEDWAY | James Cummings | Hugh Bowman | 5.1L | 7 | 55kg | $7.50 |
| 6 | 3 | LUCKY LOUIE | Anthony & Edward Cummings | Ben Melham | 5.5L | 8 | 55kg | $31 |
| 7 | 8 | SMOOTH LANDING | John P Thompson | Damian Lane | 6.25L | 10 | 55kg | $13 |
| 8 | 15 | STUDIO CITY | Matt Cumani | Harry Coffey | 6.45L | 12 | 55kg | $21 |
| 9 | 1 | ONE MORE HONEY | John P Thompson | Blake Shinn | 6.65L | 1 | 57.5kg | $7.50 |
| 10 | 14 | THINK DIAMONDS | Anthony Freedman | Kerrin McEvoy | 6.85L | 9 | 55kg | $41 |
| 11 | 7 | CORAL COAST | Stuart Webb | Dwayne Dunn | 7.25L | 3 | 55kg | $26 |
| 12 | 11 | SEABABE | Gary Portelli | Joao Moreira | 8.75L | 16 | 55kg | $81 |
| 13 | 16 | TIGEEN (NZ) | Matt Cumani | Daniel Moor | 15.75L | 14 | 55kg | $51 |
| 14 | 2 | LEGAL GIRL | Clarry Conners | Luke Nolen | 15.85L | 13 | 55kg | $51 |
| 15 | 13 | STATE OF PLAY | Gerald Ryan | Craig Williams | 18.1L | 2 | 55kg | $15 |
| 16 | 9 | UPTOWN GAL | Robbie Laing | Noel Callow | 36.1L | 11 | 55kg | $51 |
| – | 19e | RELIABLE DAME (NZ) | Anthony Freedman | Mark Zahra | – | 0 | – | – |
| – | 20e | FOUR KOALAS | Brian McGrath | – | – | 0 | – | – |
| – | 17e | SNOGGING | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Damien Oliver | – | 0 | – | – |
| – | 18e | PRES DE TOI | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | – | – | 0 | – | – |
