Not a lot went right for Grinzinger Pod at her career debut in Wednesday’s Dunlop Pitson & Jenkins Civil Maiden Plate (1100m) at Bendigo, but the daughter of Calyx pulled it out of the fire and looks to have a bright future.
Ridden by Lachie King for Ben Brisbourne, Grinzinger Pod began slowly. Launching down the centre of the track, she hooked up with the Snitzel colt Markdel, who had found a seam between runners and sprinted quickly to look the winner. Grinzinger Pod lifted in the final 50m to defeat Markdel by a half-head with Giga Kick’s three-quarter brother Pantoja a meritorious third off a troubled run.
It was hard to get a line on her through those country jump-outs, but she has gone well against a couple of older horses at home; she just needed to get it right on raceday,” Brisbourne said.
‘It didn’t go to plan. She was slow out of the barrier, had to come wide, and got headed. I thought that last 100m she fought back.
“She is a filly with a bit of quality, which she showed in several ways today,
“Wrapped to get a winner for John Wheeler, who is new to the stable this season. He has supported us with a few young horses.
“She was bought out of the VOBIS Gold Sale. I had a phone call to say I should ring him to see if I could train this horse, which I did. He also sent some other young ones, for which I am grateful. It’s great to get that relationship started and on to bigger and better things.”
The lone filly in the race, Grinzinger Pod, was a $38,000 purchase for John Wheeler from the Morning Rise Stud draft at the 2023 Inglis Gold Yearling Sale.
She is the first foal of the lightly raced Shooting To Win mare Rockthenightaway out of the 4-time winning stakes-placed Cindarockinrella (Fastnet Rock).
Rockthenightaway has a yearling colt by Churchill (IRE) and a weanling colt by Tassort, who was sold for $70,000 when consigned by Bell River Thoroughbreds to the 2024 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale.
She was covered by Dark Angel’s Group 1 ATC Epsom Handicap winner Top Ranked (IRE) last spring.
Grinzinger Pod is the third winner from seven to race for the two-season shuttler Calyx (Kingman) who also has the multiple stakes-placed Earthstorm, most recently second in the Group II Karrakatta Plate.
