Pfieffer’s favourite up for Coffs Cup

WHEN David Pfieffer brought Pelethronius back into work this winter he never envisaged the five-year-old winning consecutive races at Randwick let alone starting favourite in a Coffs Harbour Gold Cup.

The in-form gelding is unbeaten in four runs this winter, including winning back-toback Saturday races at Randwick at his past two starts.

Today, Pelethronius will line up as a short-priced favourite in the $80,000 Coffs Harbour Gold Cup (1600m) and Pfieffer concedes he has already exceeded expectations.

“Last prep he raced in a mile race at Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day and he ran midfield and I thought he went well,” Pfieffer recalls.

“The jockey that day said he felt the track and that it was a bit too hard for him, so I targeted the winter with him thinking I will probably have a midweek class horse.”

With low expectations, there’s little reason Pelethronius’ large group of owners have been quite boisterous after every win this campaign.

“(His owners) are having an absolute ball,” Pfieffer said.

“I didn’t expect him to keep improving like he has but he was always a horse that needed time to mature.

“Now he has developed a good racing resume and he has had 13 runs for seven wins.

“It looks as if he might get to better than Saturday grade racing as well.”

First things first though is today’s Coffs Harbour Cup.