Godolphin discard Pecans put a dagger in the heart of the sponsor of Saturday's Group III Godolphin Crown (1300m) at Hawkesbury when she edged the royally-bred Ghisoni in a driving finish.
The Joe Pride-trained filly was making her first start since opening her stakes account in the Group III Belle Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Gosford in December.
Given a positive ride by Josh Parr, Pecans defeated Ghisoni (Lonhro) by a neck with Invincibella (I Am Invincible) half a length back in third. (photos Steve Hart ).
Purchased by the Tricolours Syndicate at the Inglis August Thoroughbred Sale for $50,000, Pecans advances her record to 5 wins and 5 seconds from 13 starts with earnings of $285,515.
The 4yo daughter of Skilled had just a solitary win, a maiden at Newcastle at her first start on her resume at the time of her sale although she had been runner-up in the three starts before she was sold.
"I just wanted to see a good run from her today, she had a little set-back so for her to come back and do that is a pretty fair effort," Pride said.
"I'm not sure I'll take her to Scone, especially on the back of a really nice win like that. It might be a bit of a rush to get her there, so I might just freshen her up and find a nice race in Brisbane for her".
Parr said the win had an extra special meaning for him.
"It's nice to get a black-type winner for my man Skilled who was my first Group 1 winner, so that's cool, Parr said.
A half-sister to the Listed MRC Merson Cooper Stakes winner Secession (Lonhro) and the stakes-placed Purdy (Lonhro), Pecans descends from a family that served Woodlands well for many decades.
Pecans is the 11th and final foal of Walnut who died in 2013. The daughter of Procul Harum was a stakes-winning half-sister to the dam of Listed Stakes winner Finishing Card (Platinum Scissors).
Pecans is the only stakes-winner to date by the 2010 Group 1 AJC Champagne Stakes hero Skilled (Commands.
The brother to Cornerstone Stud Farm's Ambidexter and half-brother to Darley Stud's Sidestep (Exceed And Excel), Skilled stood at Riverbank Farm in 2017 at a fee of $3,300.
