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The connections of promising intermediate galloper Puntinato extracted a measure of revenge on the racing gods at Ellerslie on Saturday.
This was when their four-year-old mare capitalised on a perfect run to score handsomely over 1400 metres in rating 65 company.
The mare had been cruelly denied victory at the same venue in early December when hampered by a riderless horse within the shadows of the winning post. She then failed on the middle day of the Ellerslie Christmas Carnival after sitting wide on the pace before fading away in the home straight.This time luck was on the mare’s side as rider Danielle Johnson settled her perfectly in the trail to enjoy the run of the race after she jumped smartly from a midfield barrier. Angled into the clear as the field dashed for home, Puntinato quickly mastered the pacemakers to dash away and score by a length and a half from Macka’s Back who chased her gamely down the straight.
Trainer Stephen Marsh was delighted with both the win and the ride of Johnson to secure the victory.“I think most people would say it was a well deserved win as she was a tragedy beaten here two starts ago and last time she just had no luck with the way the race was run,” he said.
“This time Danielle got her in the perfect spot during the race and when she asked her for the effort she put them away nicely.“It was a super ride and I don’t think it will be the last win for the mare as she still has plenty of improvement in her.”
Marsh will now send the daughter of Pins for a brief stint in the spelling paddock as he contemplates some lofty goals for her in the coming months.“She can have a couple of weeks off now before we bring her back with the possibility of taking her to Brisbane in the winter,” he noted.
“She is owned over there and it would be a great thrill for them to have her race on their home turf so that’s what we will be looking at if she comes up well after her spell.“With her current rating there are some nice races on the support cards of those bigger racedays during the Brisbane Carnival so I can see her having one race here before we head over to have a crack at them.”
Marsh also advised two-year-old Billy Mojo had suffered a minor muscle strain that forced his scratching on Saturday although he still expected the gelding to strip fit for the Listed Karaka Million on the 25th of January.Bill Mojo currently sits 17th on the order of entry for New Zealand’s richest race after dropping two positions when overtaken by Saturday’s winner Bella Court and runner-up O’Dianne.