Champion Trainer continues Stewards success

11th Nov 2011

There was a sense of Déjà vu in the Riccarton winner’s circle following the Group Three Lindauer Stakes on Wednesday, when trainer Michael Pitman and jockey Lisa Allpress combined for success with  El Chico (NZ) (Stravinsky),

The winning trainer Michael Pitman had welcomed home Coup Align (NZ) (Align) in 2009 and 2010 and Coup Bloomsbury (NZ) (Centaine) in 2007 and winning jockey Lisa Allpress had returned to the number one stall on Coup Align (NZ) both years.

This year, the horse lapping up the attention was seven-year-old gelding El Chico (NZ) (Stravinsky), who stormed home to win the race by three-and-a-quarter-lengths over Imani (NZ) (Eltawaasul) with Bolinger (NZ) (Stravinsky) finishing third.

“I honestly couldn’t even tell you what finished second third and fourth I was just so focused on getting him up there and putting him in a spot that he could win from,” explained Allpress. 

“Last year we were devastated when Coup Align went to Singapore and you sort of think how do you replace a horse like that?

“But Chico ran 1.07 here last year and we always had in mind that he would run in the Stewards.

“With the rain coming I was a little bit worried but he is just an honest horse, awesome to ride and Michael and the team have done a great job getting him the right weight (55.5kgs) for today”. 

Bred by R Lam, El Chico has now registered 13 wins and 16 placings for owners John and Evelyn Carran and Michael Pitman. 

“He is a grouse horse. I brought him pretty cheaply and I was pretty lucky I have got good owners in John and Evelyn. I actually bought him without an owner and said to John that we might have a bit of fun with this horse, and what and understatement that has been!” exuded Pitman. 

“Last year he won seven open sprints and there is a bit of life in the old boy yet.”

“I might get a bit carried away and go across the ditch yet, but we might go up North first and have a crack at the Group One at Wellington (Telegraph Handicap).

El Chico (NZ) is by Cambridge Stud based sire Stravinsky (Nureyev) from the winning Classic Fame (Nijinsky) mare Las Chicas Buenas (NZ).