Despite pre-race antics put on display by
Pornichet they didn't harm his chances with the imported stallion gave his staying peers a galloping lesson demoralising his rivals to score a soft win in the
$650,000 Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben on Saturday.
In the pre-race parade ring,
Pornichet carried on a treat, kicking out with his hind legs and striking out in front on several occasions. It would be a brave man that would venture anywhere near the rear of Pornichet. The 4yo entire pig-rooted around the parade ring but it certainly did not affect his performance. Nor did it concern his effervescent
Hall Of Fame, Champion Trainer Gai Waterhouse who told Sky Thoroughbred Central
"he's just a boy".
Once out on the track
Pornichet continued to play up, raring a couple of times in the barriers but when the starter said go, he was one of the first to leave the barriers.
It was bustling run race early with Leebaz leading the charge from a wall of horses vying for forward positions. As the field left the home straight the first time and started to string out
Pornichet had landed in a midfield position.
Approaching the home turn Pornichet was angled off the heels of those in front by
Blake Shinn who was swinging off him with a lap full of horse. Given his head, he sprinted quickly and in a matter of strides the race was over.
"What a gorgeous horse," Waterhouse said. "Like the other day all the way up at Toowoomba, he had it won at the top of the straight."
Pornichet ($3.50 fav) was one of five Blake Shinn winners for the day when defeating the Chris Waller-trained Weary ($19) by 2-1/4 lengths with the runner-up's stablemate I'm Imposing ($11) three-quarters of a length back in third.
The win also gave Shinn successive victories in the Doomben Cup after he partnered Streama to success in the race last year for the late Guy Walter.
"Back-to-back, it's special to come up here after I won the race last year for Guy," Shinn said.
In winning for the fourth time from eight starts, Pornichet takes his earnings to $927,722
Waterhouse said
Pornichet will now go for a break and be prepared for a shot at one of Australia's great weight-for-age races – the
Cox Plate in October.
"I had dinner with Lloyd Williams the other night, my husband and I, and it was very interesting he said, 'If you can win this race, this Group 1 race, there is a chance of him being really worthy of going into a Cox Plate'.
"He's really worthy."
The 4yo entire is a son of the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris and Group I Prix Jean Pratt winner Vespone, a son of Llandaff a brother to the successful NZ based stallion Dahar out of the great racemare Dahlia.
A half-brother to four winners, Pornichet is out of the Septieme Ciel mare Porza a half-sister to multiple Group II winner Porlezza.