Winning Horse: Pesto (GB)

6yoG New Approach (Ire) - Pickle (GB)(Piccolo (GB))

19 starts - 3 wins 5 seconds 2 fourths $180187

Other Wins

1st Gb - Sandown Park Randox Handicap 1408m (2019)

1st Gb - Leicester British Stallion Studs Ebf Novice Stakes (Plus 10) 1408m (2018)

Other Placings

2nd Warwick Farm Pinatubo New @ Darley (Bm78) 2130m (2022)

2nd Randwick-Kensington Australian Light Horse (Bm88) 1800m (2021)

2nd Caulfield Noel Rundle (Bm78) 1400m (2021)

2nd Ire - Navan Irish Stallion Farms Ebf 'Nasrullah' Handicap (Premier Handicap) 2012m (2020)

2nd Gb - Kempton Park Aw 32Red Handicap 1609m (2019)

Race Result:

1st: Pesto (J McNeil/M, W & J Hawkes) - $13

2nd: Reflect the Stars (D Thornton/D O’Brien) - $19
3rd: Monreal (H Coffey/M Smith) - $26

Winning Time: 2:37.16 Last 600m: N/A

Margins: 1-¼ len x Half Neck

Winning Trainer: Wayne Hawkes

Horse’s progression: “He’s been disappointing to date but the races have gotten out further and we’ve just kept persisting with him and his run the other day (at Warwick Farm) was pretty good. I thought it may have even been better if it was wetter.”

On the win: “He drew a bad barrier, Jye just lobbed him out, he went to sleep. If you watch the replay he got held up badly at the 400m mark but he won and won pretty well- better than I thought he would for how he’s been going.”

Getting him as a tried horse: “It’s never easy for any horse you get as a tried horse. You’re still learning about them and they’re probably not fully acclimatised. Everyone that’s got one has probably been guilty of expecting too much. We know where we’re at, it’s May in Flemington but it’s better than we were six months ago.”

Winning Jockey: Jye McNeil

Horse’s improvement: “Probably a bit of maturity. He relaxed a lot better, when they slowed up at the 1400m he was inclined to get on the chewie a little bit but I think a bit more maturity and learning a bit more about him has really helped him make the improvement.”

Getting held up: “In the end I think it worked into his favour because whilst I was held up he really gained confidence when the split came he really let down with a fantastic turn of speed. Because it was so quick when he did initiate that speed his run had to come to an end at some stage but he sustained it all the way to the line so I thought it was a fantastic effort.”