Pins Mare A Cracking Prospect

Pukekohe trainer Richard Collett is weighing up his black type options with a WS-bred mare he holds in the highest regard. The lightly-raced Pins four-year-old Shantaine produced an outstanding performance to win against Rating 80 company at Awapuni on Saturday to turn her connections thoughts toward much loftier prizes.

“She’s got a big heart and is probably as good as any horse we’ve got in the stable,” Collett said. Given he prepared the Gr 1 New Zealand Oaks runner-up November Rain to win the recent Gr 2 Cal Isuzu Stakes, that emphasises the talent Shantaine possesses. A likely target for the mare could now be the Gr 2 Rich Hill Mile at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.

Shantaine settled toward the tail-end of the field on Saturday and was still lengths off the pace on the turn. However when the field fanned out into the straight, rider Jason Collett asked for a serious effort and the mare stormed down the centre of the track to win going away by an easy length and a-half.

Purchased by Collett for stable clients Bruce and Gerald Shand from WS’s 2008 Premier Sale draft for $280,000, she is out of the winning Centaine mare Centelise from the Gr 1 family of the VRC Derby and Caulfield Guineas winner and successful sire Grosvenor. Shantaine has fashioned the excellent record of three wins and three placings from her seven appearances with the prospect of stakes success to come.