PILKINGTON'S FOUR PILLARS CHANCES A WEIGHTY ISSUE
The Hawkesbury trainer was back in the winning list at Rosehill Gardens yesterday, but wonders whether it will come at a bigger cost.
Pilkington’s talented five-year-old Alabama State ($4) was given a gun ride under his 60kg by Tommy Berry in defeating Newcastle trainer Andrew MacDonald’s March Force ($11) in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1400m).
The runner-up, chasing a hat-trick after recent wins at Muswellbrook and Scone, was the subject of a long-priced plunge and showed he is definitely up to making his mark in town.
Whilst Pilkington savoured Alabama State’s fifth career victory – and first since a similar grade race over 1350m at the same track in January – his thought immediately turned to the $500,000 Four Pillars Midway (1500m) at Rosehill on October 31.
“Of course it was great to see Alabama State win another race in town, but it’s going to make his task of winning the Four Pillars that much harder now,” he said today.
Pilkington got moving early and booked apprentice Jett Newman two and a half weeks ago for the Four Pillars ride.
“It was important to get in early, and I know Jett’s manager has since had a number of offers for her in this race.
“Prior to yesterday’s win, Alabama State’s benchmark rating was 72 and he would have been weighted at 62kg and carried 59kg after her claim.
“His rating has gone up five points as a result of yesterday’s win, and that means he is going to have to carry even more weight as the Four Pillars is a Midway Benchmark 68 Handicap.
“It’s going to make things very difficult, and we don’t often get the chance to win half million dollar races.”
Alabama State, in spite of his big impost yesterday, always travelled like a winner.
He relished dropping back from stronger races he had been contesting at his previous five starts this preparation, when never further back than sixth.
Alabama State ran in four Benchmark 78 Handicaps before finishing sixth to Decorum in a Benchmark 88 (1400m) at Rosehill on September 26.
“He drew poorly in four of those races, and ran well in all of them.
“It was a different story yesterday dropping back to a Midway Benchmark 72 from a decent draw.”
Pilkington said he gave some thought to keeping Alabama State “on ice” after his Rosehill run behind Decorum.
“I was mindful of the weight he would carry in the Four Pillars, but it meant him going into the race having not started for five weeks,” he said.
“Thus I had to run him yesterday.
“They say a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, but I hope it doesn’t cost him the $287,000 first prize in three weeks.”
