This year’s $100,000 Pinker Pinker Plate is staying local with Cranbourne trainer Cindy Alderson winning it with mare Flash Mary on Friday night.

The Waterhouse & Bott-trained Supa Girl set a solid temp up front, while the eventual winner settled in the second half of the field before peeling out around the outside coming around the home turn and running over the top of them to defeat the Mike Moroney-trained mare Speak by three-quarters of a length.

With a starting price of $26, it was an upset victory from a market perspective for the daughter of El Roca, partnered by jockey Daniel Moor.

But Alderson was confident with the blinkers back on the former Kiwi could get the job done in front of her owners, who had flown across the Tasman to watch her.

“It’s really satisfying, it was a plan I had all along,” she said.

“Thank goodness the rain came, that certainly helped. Put the blinkers back on her and Daniel gave her a super ride and great result for everybody.

“It was a really smart ride by Daniel, he let the speed go and he stoked her up early and she dug in deep.

“I have to thank Brian Black and his wife Dee, who has flown all the way over from New Zealand today to see this horse race.”

It was the five-year-old’s first Australian win since relocating from New Zealand in the autumn, having placed in four of her six runs since joining Alderson’s yard.

Second-up in her second Australian racing preparation, it was a marked improvement from Flash Mary, who failed to beat a runner home when racing fresh on firmer ground at Sandown in a Mares BM70 two weeks ago.

Alderson said she wasn’t disheartened by her first-up run knowing she’d improve on a rain-affected track up in distance.

“This was the race I’d hoped to win with her right from the start,” she said.

“Definitely knew she wanted a bit of cut in the ground. I thought her figures had been suggesting that 2000m is right up her alley.

“I’d also like to give a special thank you to Melissa, who works for me, she’s done so much work with this mare. She’s quite a quirky mare, so it’s partly Melissa’s win as well.”

Despite the praise from Alderson regarding his ride, Moor admitted he’d had to change plans early in the race when the mare settled further back.

“Cindy would have been cursing me in the run because our plan was to go forward, but with a suicidal tempo, which I’m not complaining about, it was beautiful to get a 10-furlong race run at a nice clip.

“Found ourselves a long way back – I thought I’d definitely be first three or four – but she switched off really well.

“I was able to get Johnny Allen’s bum in the run and drag through; probably presented a bit soon had a bit of a look around but was strong to the line after an economical run.

“She is quirky, she’s got tricks this horse and you’ve sort of got to let her be her.”  

The jockeys wore pink breeches to ride in the Pinker Pinker Plate as part of the meeting’s fundraising efforts for the Breast Cancer Network Australia.

More than 600 people attended an on-course event raising awareness and funds for the BCNA.

Source: Racing.com - Full Article Here