Pinyarda’s hopes on Country Cup victory
OWNER Tom Hedley is intending to partner Pinyarda with stable star Tyzone for a southeast Queensland mission next year.
That is, if Pinyarda can prove his worth in the Magic Millions Country Cup Qualifier today at Cluden Park.
With $250,000 on offer on the Gold Coast early next year, a field of some of the best horses in North Queensland assemble for a crack over 1200m this afternoon.
The orange colours of the Hedley stable start Pinyarda, a winner at the track two starts ago, as well as Fastcar, who has put together two smart wins in a row.
Only four of the horses in today’s field are eligible to qualify for the Country Cup, with neither of the Hedley horses paid up, but they will still be chasing the extra prize money today.
Pinyarda blew away a strong field at Cluden Park on November 17 by 2.5 lengths and Hedley says the gelding is one to follow today.
“It is a tough race, it is a really good field on Saturday,” Hedley said. “Pinyarda is a nice little horse and he will be hard to beat. I think Pinyarda is the best of my two, Fastcar is racing consistently but Pinyarda knows where the line is.
“Pinyarda was pretty impressive in the middle of last month in Townsville.
“The field that Pinyarda beat at Townsville last month, that was almost a Cleveland Bay style field. On that win, I thought he would be competitive in a race in Brisbane.”
The $30,000 Country Cup Qualifier has a strong Far North flavour with Fred Wieland and Janel Ryan both sending horses south.
Wieland’s Nevetus is in line to start in the Country Cup if the mare can win today.
Champion trainer Roy Chillemi, who trains the majority of the Hedley stable, will be out of action for the next few months after having his knee replaced recently.
Pinyarda, Fastcar and Tyzone have been transferred to the Samantha Molino stable with Chillemi out. Tyzone, who has not started since running fifth in the Cleveland Bay in late July, is back in pre-training with an eye to returning early in 2018.
The first of six races jumps from Cluden Park at 2.03pm today.