‘When in doubt back a Frankel’ – that punting strategy paid dividends on Saturday when a blueblood son of the champion sire burst into Cups contention at Caulfield.
A Juddmonte homebred that was trained originally by Ralph Beckett, Pinhole won two of seven starts in the UK and was snapped up by Chris Waller Racing for 200,000 guineas at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale last year
A big horse with a massive frame, he was always going to be an interesting watch when he came to Australia and that watch has got all the more interesting after he powered to the line to win the $400,000 Group II MRC Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) on Saturday.
Ridden by James McDonald, Pinhole started favourite and produced his best work on the line to win by a head over Suntora with the 2024 Melbourne Cup winner Knights Choice showing a glimmer of his best form with a close third.
PINHOLE WINS A THRILLING HERBERT POWER ?? J-MAC LIFTS HIM AND HE'S INTO THE CAULFIELD CUP ?? @mcacajamez @cwallerracing https://t.co/pHvoFEPqUl
— 7HorseRacing ?? (@7horseracing) October 10, 2026
“Guy Mulcaster does a great job. He found this horse and he's a nice progressive horse and they often take a bit of time to find their straps, but he's found them now,” said Chris Waller.
"Let the dust settle, but I would be leaning more towards being more conservative from a timing perspective. Everyone wants to win Caulfield Cups, but whether you can is another story.
“If we can get to a Melbourne Cup, that might be a real fairytale story.”
Pinhole is a full brother to Group I winner Quadrilateral and is the second stakes-winner among seven winners from Nimble Thimble, a half-sister to Group II winner Three Valleys and also to a mare called Back Pass (USA) that made her way to Australia where she left Group winners Scissor Kick and Sharkbite.
Third dam Kerali has spawned a whole dynasty of stakes- winners for Juddmonte that include celebrated blue hen Hasili and her myriad of G1 winning descendants, so Pinhole lacks for nothing in pedigree.
Pinhole is the 197th stakes-winner for champion sire Frankel.
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