Pins 5YO upsets in mares’ feature

Pins mare Miss Alice denied her rating of 85 to successfully bridge the gap to black type company at Riccarton this afternoon. The five-year-old was brought with a typically late finish by rider Chris Johnson to post an upset win in the Gr.3 Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes.

For the 51-year-old jockey and trainers John and Karen Parsons it was their win in the event following success with the top mare Final Touch (2012) and Arietta (2013). “It’s a pleasure to ride for them and they have supported me all the way through,” Johnson said.

While Miss Alice went out at odds of 25-1, there was stable confidence in Miss Alice’s ability to be a force to be reckoned with. “She has strengthened up this year and finally matured and we thought she could do this,” Johnson said. “I ended up getting a nice run through and came across heels 150 metres out. I thought I may have been a bit late, but she really dashed that last bit.”

Miss Alice beat the O’Reilly mare Emerald Queen by a head and deny the runner-up’s breeder-owner and race sponsor Kevin Hickman a perfect result. Out of the Centaine mare Raining, Miss Alice is a sister to the Gr 3 White Robe Lodge Handicap winner and Group One performer Pins ‘N’ Needles.