Warwick Stakes Preview: Reliable Pinwheel to defend title

Peter Snowden (right) trains Pinwheel.

This afternoon's Group 2 Warwick Stakes (off time 06:45 BST) run under weight for age conditions over 1400m at Warwick Farm has assembled a quality line up, many with Spring targets well beyond today's race...

That opens the door just a little for the ever reliable Peter Snowden-trained Pinwheel to defend his title for the race having been successful in the 2011 renewal from Ilovethiscity and Startsmeup. It will be no easy task with group one winning mares Secret Admirer and Lights Of Heaven among his opposition as well as the former kiwi trained galloper Rock 'N' Pop now under the watchful eye of champion trainer Gai Waterhouse.

That said Pinwheel is a genuine type who does have a fitness edge on most of his rivals having already opened his seasonal account last start winning the G3 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill from Centennial Park and Rolling Pin, both of whom he faces again today.

Pinwheel ran slightly below his master Timeform rating of 121 in taking the Missile Stakes but with that run under his belt I am confident of a return to top form here. The Missile Stakes win followed a stint in Brisbane for the winter carnival where he contested the feature sprint double of the G1 Doomben 10000 and Stradbroke Handicap, not being disgraced in either.

After a creditable fourth in the Stradbroke Handicap over 1400m behind Mid Summer Music, Pinwheel resumed off a 63 day break to win the Missile in an impressive performance with the promise of more to come. Being trained on the Warwick Farm track is always a positive and in a tough race, Pinwheel looks to just have an edge.

Clearly the main danger is multiple group one winning mare Secret Admirer. Timeform rated 123, she has been competing at the elite level last campaign without much luck but given her "get back" racing pattern that is likely to always be the case, where her winning chances are generally dictated by the pace and tempo of the race.

On raw adjusted Timeform ratings, Secret Admirer is the horse to beat however being first up does cause some concern. Her past ratings profile reveals she is unlikely to run to her top as she generally performs five or six pounds under her master rating in that state. The reigning G1 Epsom Handicap winner is on target for major spring feature staying races in Melbourne this campaign and whatever she does, she will certainly improve on as her campaign unfolds.

Secret Admirer has started three times at Warwick Farm and while she is yet to salute in first place, she has performed creditably with narrow defeats in the Toy Show and Tramway Handicaps. All the same a perusal of her race record does stand her out as the quality performer of the field and it would come as no surprise to see her storm home over the top of her rivals.

Trainer Grahame Begg has trialled her twice coming into the race, being placed both times over 830m and 1050m both at Randwick, so she should be forward enough to race well. Last campaign her highest rating effort came third run back from a spell in the G1 Coolmore Classic over 1500m at Rosehill where she failed narrowly under a big weight to run down Ofcourseican.

Gai Waterhouse trains the query in the race, former New Zealand galloper Rock 'N' Pop. This fellow came to Australia with excellent three-year-old form last Autumn that included a second in the G1 NZ Derby over 2400m behind Silent Achiever and a third against older gallopers in the G1 International Stakes to Shez Sinsational over 2000m.

After failing in the G1 Rosehill Guineas over 2000m, his owner David Ellis decided to leave him in Australia to be trained by Waterhouse so I am expecting him to improve considerably in coming starts. The lightly raced son of Fastnet Rock has barrier trialled brilliantly winning two recent trials at Randwick and he will not be far off producing a new master rating this afternoon.

Being the veteran of just nine race starts in just one campaign, Rock 'N' Pop has plenty of scope for rapid improvement and is definitely a horse to stay with over the Spring. Champion rider Nash Rawiller who rode him to win his July 16th Randwick Trial will have the mount.

The promising Peter Moody-trained mare Lights Of Heaven is an interesting runner. She has not been seen since winning the G2 Timeform Brisbane Cup over 2400m during the winter carnival 63 days ago and although today's race should be a shade short for her, she is now in career best form and is capable of taking another step in her ratings, especially over distances longer than she races at this afternoon.

Timeform rated 121, it will be a difficult assignment for her to run to that figure here but for multiple players she is a must include all the same. It is worth keeping in mind her Brisbane form was in races all assessed at being at least equal or better than average over the last five years so it is no surprise that Moody has some major staying spring targets ear marked for her.

Centennial Park, Timeform rated 117, is another to consider for the multiples. The David Payne-trained gelding has been out of the winner's list for over 500 days but comes here second up after an eye catching second to Pinwheel in the Missile Stakes 14 days prior.

Last preparation he was not far away in races like the G1 George Ryder Stakes and that form does stack up well for today. Considering he will take improvement from his Missile run he very much stays under notice.

Recommendation
Back Pinwheel @ 4.77/2 in the Warwick Stakes