Saturday’s A$130,000 Nick Johnstone Real Estate Handicap (1200m) at Sandown was the first raceday appearance in nine months for Sunshineinmypocket, and the highly talented New Zealand-bred made an impressive return to action.
The Proisir gelding kicked off his career with three consecutive wins at Ballarat and Sandown in February and March of last year, then finished sixth in the Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m) in April in his only other start.
Patiently handled by trainer Ciaron Maher, the four-year-old resumed his promising career with a stylish win on Saturday.
Sunshineinmypocket jumped from the outside gate in a field of nine, and jockey Jaylah Kennedy took him out the back and moved him across to the rail.
Kennedy angled her mount to the outside in the straight and pushed the button, and Sunshineinmypocket accelerated smartly and drew up alongside the leaders.
Despite running low on fuel in the final 50m, Sunshineinmypocket dug deep in a head-bobbing finish and edged out fellow New Zealand-bred runner Carbonados by a nose.
“We got a split at the top of the straight and he let down really well,” Kennedy said. “He’d had enough by the line, but he’s going to take a lot of benefit from this run. He’s a really nice horse.”
Sunshineinmypocket has now had five starts for four wins and A$156,625 in stakes.
“He went out after the Bendigo Guineas, we thought he just needed a good break,” assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said. “Then he came back in and just didn’t quite come up, so we tipped him out again. Thankfully the owners allowed us to do that.
“So he’s been away for a fair while, but he’s always shown promise. He knows how to win, put it that way.
“He’s lightly raced and it’s going to be interesting to see where he gets to. We’re looking forward to the next couple of runs.
“He’s a bull, he’s really developed, and he has a turn of foot.”
Sunshineinmypocket was bred by Daniel Nakhle, who won Saturday’s Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie with his homebred star Crocetti.
The dam of Sunshineinmypocket is the Jimmy Choux mare Sunrise Ruby, whose dam A Touch Of Ruby won the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m).
Sunshineinmypocket was a $6000 purchase from Haunui Farm’s draft at the 2021 National Weanling Sale at Karaka. He returned as a member of Prima Park’s draft for Book 2 of Karaka 2022, but failed to meet his $35,000 reserve.
