The Joe Pride-trained LITTLE COINTREAU defied a betting to drift to score first-up at Canterbury on Wednesday in a return that suggests the four-year-old could be in for a big winter.
Settling towards the tail of the field, LITTLE COINTREAU ($5ef) got to the outside at the top of the straight but it wasn’t until the 200m the gelding was fully balanced to launch his claim.
He lunged late to score by 0.3L over BUNKER HUT ($5ef) with GIVARA ($8.50) just behind the pair.
“We ended up in a nice position but a long way off the speed on a track that is playing quite quick,” jockey Josh Parr said.
“He’s so responsive. Each time I asked him to do something, he did it for me. I’m glad you guys gave me the advice to go soft on him early so he could be there late. I think that was the winning move.”
Well cheers to that!
Little Cointreau swoops on them to take the second-last at Canterbury!@aus_turf_club @PrideRacing @JoshuaParr8 pic.twitter.com/Fkkd8lV0Gw
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 29, 2024
LITTLE COINTREAU stopped the clock at 1.14:75, the fastest of three 1250m races on the day.
The son of CONTRIBUTER had a decent blow coming back to scale with Parr adding “he can only improve off this”.
Plans are to send him to a BM72 at Saturday level next time he steps out as we chase lucrative prizemoney for this level of racing.
LITTLE COINTREAU was a $65,000 purchase from the Wentwood Grange draft of the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. He has now amassed more than $100,000 in nine starts and is our 21st winner for 2024.
