Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Rising superstar Pinny Tiger smashed champion Chicago Bull’s 1730m track record when he romped to victory in the $48,500 The West Australian Nights Of Thunder at Gloucester Park on Friday night – and part-owner and trainer Michael Brennan is contemplating taking the Mach Three five-year-old to Sydney to contest the $1 million Miracle Mile at Menangle on March 4.
“We will sit down as an ownership group over the next few days and work out our plans for Pinny Tiger,” said Brennan.
“We will decide whether he will run in the WA Pacing Cup next Friday night or to go over east for the Miracle Mile. It will be one or the other. A lot depends on how he pulls up after tonight’s win. If he doesn’t pull up like I want him to, he won’t be running in either event, and will go straight to the paddock.”
If the owners decide to have a crack at the Miracle Mile, Brennan will take the gelding to Sydney and run him in the $100,000 Newcastle Mile on February 17. A win in that race would qualify Pinny Tiger for a start in the 1609m Miracle Mile.
But if Pinny Tiger failed to win at Newcastle the gelding would then contest one of the two $100,000 Miracle Mile qualifying events at Menangle on February 25.
Pinny Tiger, the $1.20 favourite for the Nights Of Thunder, began speedily from the No. 4 barrier, but Michael Grantham had to drive him hard to get past Tenzing Bromac and to the front after 150m.
Pinny Tiger sizzled over the opening 400m section in 27.8sec. before Grantham gave him a breather with a second quarter of 29.3sec. and then sprinting over the final quarters in 27.4sec. and 27.8sec. He went on to win by a half-length from the $7.50 second fancy Tenzing Bromac, rating 1.51.2 which eclipsed Chicago Bull’s 1730m track record rate of 1.51.6.
“I said he would break 1.52 in his qualifying heat last week (which he won at a 1.51.8 rate),” said Brennan. “And I predicted he would go 1.51.2 tonight. He is a very good horse who has got gears.
“But I reckon he might have been a fraction flat tonight. He just didn’t get out of the gate as fast as I would have liked. However, he went 1.51.2 which was 0.6sec. faster than he went last week. So, maybe I’m wrong.
“It’s a bit surreal to have a horse who has just broken Chicago Bull’s track record. I’m in awe of the horse. He is the second best I have trained. The best is Im Victorious. Pinny Tiger has the potential to be up there with him, but I don’t think he will surpass him.”
The Victorian-bred Pinny Tiger has earned $207,138 from 14 wins and ten seconds from 35 starts. In 2012 Im Victorious won the WA Derby and the Golden Nugget Championship before winning the Fremantle Cup in January 2014. Three starts after that victory Im Victorious suffered a career-ending leg injury in the final of the Interdominion Championship at Menangle.
Im Victorious finished fourth behind Beautide in the Miracle Mile in November 2013, and Pinny Tiger possesses such explosive speed that there is little doubt that he is capable of a powerful effort in the Miracle Mile in March.
Pinny Tiger’s brilliant victory on Friday night gave Brennan and Grantham their second success in the Nights Of Thunder, following Nathans Courage’s all-the-way win in January 2017.