Pinseeker to stay in New South Wales

By Adam Hamilton 

Jonny Cox is hoping for a farewell of sorts with Pinseeker in next month’s $1m Miracle Mile.

Cox confirmed his stable star would stay in Australia with champion NSW trainer Luke McCarthy after his current campaign.

Pinseeker opened his Sydney raid with a narrow but slick 1min49.7sec mile free-for-all win at Menangle on Saturday night.

Next stop will be harder on March 7 when Pinseeker tackles one of the two qualifying sprints at Menangle in a bid to land a Miracle Mile berth the week after.

“I was happy with him. He was vulnerable at the 100m, but he really stuck it out well,” Cox said.

“He’ll be better for the run too, as far as fitness and experience in that sort of hard racing at Menangle.

“He’s won before, but was different. He got a 60sec half and really just sprinted home a quarter.

“The other night it was go, go, go from the start.”

Pinseeker worked to find the front in a 26.1sec opening quarter, followed with a 28.2sec second split and then dashed home in 55.4 and 27.4sec.

“It’s going to get harder from here, but he came through it well and will be better. I put him on the water walker at Luke’s the morning after (the race) and he’s come through it really well.”

Cox said skipping this week’s Newcastle Mile suited Pinseeker’s campaign.

“He had that run at Addington and raced here a week later, so to get two weeks now and more time to settle in at Luke’s will be ideal,” he said.

“Plus, if he got beaten at Newcastle (where only the winner gets a guaranteed Miracle Mile) we’d have had to run him in the qualifiers the week after anyway.”

Cox said Pinseeker’s headstrong tendency in longer races made it attractive to leave him with McCarthy after the Miracle Mile.

“We just don’t have the short course options at home and he can race here almost every week over a mile for $30,000,” he said.

“The sprint races and how they’re run here mean he doesn’t get the chance to overrace.

“Luke’s got a great set-up with his track, the water walker and his hill track. I’m sure the horse will love it here.”

Pinseeker’s possible rivals on Saturday week include Kingman, Swayzee, Don Hugo, Hi Manameisjeff and Captains Knock.