Pisanello continues winning run at Kembla Grange despite betting drift and slow start
Adam Hyeronimus was always confident rising sprinter Pisanello would maintain his unbeaten prep at Kembla Grange on Saturday.
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Jockey Adam Hyeronimus declared Pisanello had been a “certainty” after the Godolphin emerging star completed a sensational winning hat-trick at Kembla Grange on Saturday.
The James Cummings-trained gelding defied a betting drift and slow start to stylishly salute in the Traffic Logistics Benchmark 78 Handicap (1000m) on $1m The Gong day.
“He was near enough, one of the closest things (to a) certainty, a shoo-in in this race,” Hyeronimus declared.
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Pisanello had been as short as $2.30 in betting but jumped on the second line of betting at $3.30 following a sustained betting move for the Matthew Dale-trained Duke Of Bronte ($3.20 favourite).
Carrying the topweight of 60kg, Pisanello was clearly the slowest out of the gates and only had a couple of runners behind him in the run.
But as the field came off the fence at the top of the straight, Hyeronimus was able to save ground closer to the inside and launch his challenge.
The gap came at the furlong pole and Pisanello ($3.30 favourite) accelerated away to score from Terry Robinson’s fast-finishing Tai Lung ($26).
The Bjorn Baker-trained Shailaled ($8.50) was a further 1¼ lengths away in third with Ciaron Maher’s Hi Dubai ($9.50) close up in fourth.
@t_rye1's lay of the day gets up!
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 23, 2024
Today's best-backed runner at Kembla Grange, Pisanello, wins the third in dominant fashion for @JamesCummings88 💥 pic.twitter.com/cyt2P5sqE3
“Barrier one is the perfect set up,” Hyeronimus said.
“He is a horse that needs cover and it’s very important that he gets cover.
“Obviously they showed last preparation that he isn’t as effective on heavy track so barrier one we were always going to get that (cover).
“It was just a matter of me holding him together, being patient, getting on the right rein and we were able to do so and he won accordingly.”
Godolphin stable representative Paul Reid had been concerned that the inside draw would be the undoing of Pisanello.
“You wouldn’t believe it, two times in a row he has drawn barrier one and it’s not the place to be,” he said.
“He has done a good job to overcome it twice.”
Pisanello hasn’t put a foot wrong this preparation after returning in dominant fashion with a convincing victory at Warwick Farm over 1000m on October 23.
He followed up with a terrific victory from back in the pack over 1100m at Flemington before backing it up on Saturday.
The Flemington victory gave champion jockey James McDonald a record 11th victory during Melbourne Cup week, which included four Group 1s on Switzerland (Coolmore Stud Stakes), Atishu (Empire Rose Stakes), Sunshine In Paris (Champions Spring) and Via Sistina (Champions Stakes).
Pisanello looks destined for stakes company but Godolphin don’t plan to rush him into higher grade
“We are very happy with him, he shows nice ability,” Reid said.
“We will keep going through the grades at this stage and who knows where he will end up.”
Pisanello has now won five of his 11 starts and earned just shy of $270,000 for Godolphin.
Well backed favourite Duke Of Bronte was quickest early to sit outside the lead and was given every chance on speed.
But the son of Capitalist failed to find under pressure over the concluding stages, fading to finish sixth.
Dryden delivers one-two punch in Kembla opener
Trainer Keith Dryden delivered the perfect one-two punch as Everido led home a stable quinella to kick-off the card at Kembla Grange on Saturday.
Dryden had travelled to the Illawarra thinking he was a good chance of getting a big result and his prediction proved spot on in the TAB Highway Class 3 Handicap (1400m).
Everido ($6.50) got the nod to score by a short half head in a thrilling tight photo finish with stablemate Sunchyme ($7) while race favourite Lambay ($5) was 1¼ lengths away in third.
“It is nice to have (a quinella),” Dryden said.
“One of the owners asked me which is the best and I said there is nothing between them.
“I said they could run one-two.
“(The winner) really deserved it.”
Close finish in the first at Kembla! ðŸ¤
— 7HorseRacing 🎠(@7horseracing) November 23, 2024
Everido gets up on the inside to win and gives Keith Dryden the quinella!@Reganbaylisspic.twitter.com/wuLTOHrwSh
Both Everido and Sunchyme enjoyed perfect runs with the winner able to get cover on the fence in the front half of the field.
Winning jockey Regan Bayliss was able to save ground until the top of the straight before Everido was able to wear down his stablemate over the concluding stages.
Sunchyme had hit the front around the furlong pole and jockey Tommy Berry thought it played a part in the result.
“Tommy said she was unlucky,” Dryden said.
“He said we just got left in front too early but it was her first crack at 1400m.”
The first three home in the Highway are all trained out of Canberra and amazingly all only got a start in the race as emergencies.
Canberra-trained horses don’t have direct entry into Highways with preference given to NSW-based horses.
Originally published as Pisanello continues winning run at Kembla Grange despite betting drift and slow start
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