A newcomer to the South Island in Eastandwest (NZ) (Charm Spirit) made a winning start for the stable of Michael and Matthew Pitman at Ashburton on Sunday.
A son of Charm Spirit, Eastandwest had four starts under the care of Cambridge trainer Lauren Brennan, including a pair of fourths behind Tristar and Rochmie Ray. He finished back in the field at Tauranga in mid-December, and fresh-up in the Rainer Irrigation (1400m), he was underrated in the market at $23.
A downgrade in track conditions to a Heavy 8 caused the late scratching of a favoured runner in Super Sincere, alongside Discretion Rules, who came out earlier in the day.
Their absence left progressive filly Those Ocean Eyes clearly on top of the market at $2.80, but she was one of the slowest to jump, while second-elect Alberton Angel flew the gates and took the early lead. Eastandwest raced keenly early under the Pitman’s stable apprentice Abdul Najib, sitting three-wide at the tail of the field before venturing wide on the course turning for home.
In the last 200m, Ex Aye, Maracatu, Those Ocean Eyes and Eastandwest all looked winning chances, but in the final bounds, Eastandwest managed to overcome the favourite to score by a head.
“He was really good, he’s only a three-year-old and is obviously going to find some improvement and is handy on a wet track,” Michael Pitman said.
“He ran fourth in a Rating 60 race at Pukekohe before he came down, which is a good run from any maidener.
“He’s a work in progress, when he first came down he was just wanting to get too keen and Abdul rode him really well, settling back and holding him up for one run at them and we got the chocolates.”
Purchased for $7,000 through gavelhouse.com, Eastandwest has made a swift return on that investment for the SIRE Syndicate.
“My brother bought him off Gavelhouse about six or eight weeks ago after he ran four nice races up north,” Pitman said. “We were thinking about taking him to the trials on Tuesday, but we thought we would throw him in the deep end and it worked out well.
“Effectively, it was a maiden win worth $40,000 so it was a great stake to get.
“We won’t go to the Dunedin Guineas (Listed, 1600m) with him, we will probably head to Riccarton on the 26th of March, there’s a three-year-old race over 1400m which I think will suit him ideally.”
Eastandwest is out of a Black Minnaloushe mare Riverina Girl, who has produced eight foals, seven of those being winners. Riverina Girl is a half-sister to Group Two winner Bak Da Chief, the dam of star galloper and multiple-Group One winner Te Akau Shark.