Aspinal Deserved Stakes Winner

20 October 2012

Pins’ daughter Aspinal finally broke through at black type level when she won the Listed Lion Red Plate. The six-year-old is in the closing stages of her racing career and was a deserved winner of the Rotorua feature.

“It’s been a long time coming this stakes win and she’s always been the bridesmaid,” said Cambridge trainer Tony Pike, who prepares the mare with Mark Donoghue. “She’s in foal to Zabeel so it’s great to finally get this one for Little Avondale Stud.”

From the family of her unbeaten stablemate and Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas winner Sacred Falls (O’Reilly), Aspinal has now won six races with previous placed efforts in the Gr.1 Railway Stakes, the Gr.3 Traderacks Stakes, the Gr.3 Darley Plate and the Listed Newmarket Handicap. She also finished fourth in the Listed Mona Lisa Stakes at Wyong during a brief Australian campaign last year.

The Corner with Garry Chittick

It is difficult to maintain momentum when sitting in judgment of racing’s governance. After all, I get no pleasure in searching for non-credible decisions, but one is perpetually bewildered by the rationale behind many of the positions that make little sense.

26 August 2026

Shailer pair building nicely into spring campaigns

WS-breds Justin Case and Magice contributed to a memorable season for Kris Shailer in his return to the training ranks last term, and he is hoping they can continue their form into the new season.