Homebred Pins 3YO does it in style

Neighbourhood posted a special win to open his winning account on Wednesday afternoon on his home track at Matamata.

The 3-year-old son of Pins made ground strongly at his only previous two appearances to finish in behind the major players over 1200 metres and a clean start and the step up to 1400 metres saw him break his maiden.

The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Neighbourhood bounced out of the barrier to settle in fifth spot off the rail before rider Leith Innes was on the move 400 metres from home.

They were widest into the straight and, after bounding to the lead halfway down the straight, stayed on strongly to score in fine style.

Bred and raced by Waikato Stud, Neighbourhood is a son of the O’Reilly mare Urban whose unraced Savabeel colt Poison Chalice was a A$350,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate last year.

Urban has since produced a pair of fillies by Savabeel before returning to the champion sire last season and is a half-sister to the G3 South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. winner Residential. Their dam Metropolitan was also a black-type winner.

It has been a huge team effort by the Waikato Stud team to get Neighbourhood to the track, he suffered a badly broken shoulder as a yearling and multiple opinions were given on his condition suggesting a very poor outcome. He was nursed back to health and given plenty of love and care along the way to ensure he made a full recovery.