Inside barrier draw blunts Pinstriped’s Cranbourne Cup chances

The 2024 Listed Cranbourne Cup is just days away. The barriers have been drawn, trainers are preparing their gallopers, and horse racing betting fans are getting their wagers in. To put it in other words, everyone is roaring to go.

One top trainer, though, has expressed some disappointment about the upcoming $400,000 race.
 
Cranbourne-based trainer Enver Jusufovic says that his horse Pinstriped would have a much better chance of winning had the gelding received a more favourable barrier draw.

Barrier placement finalised

After his win in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes in August, Pinstriped has been a horse on the radar of the betting experts. He’s yet to pull a major upset since his run at Caulfield, but he has regularly been an odds-leader.

That’s the case with this weekend’s Cranbourne Cup as well. Most betting sites give the gelding $8 chances to win. However, his trainer is not so certain about those odds due to Pinstriped’s poor barrier draw.

The Group 1 winner drew barrier two in Wednesday’s initial barrier draw. With Steparty, who was placed in barrier one, withdrawing, Pinstriped will now jump from the first barrier on Saturday.

“It’ll be a big effort if he (Pinstriped) can win it,” Jusufovic said after the draw.

“I would have preferred him drawing a little bit wider, but it is what it is.”

“Hopefully Ben (jockey, Ben Allen) can give him plenty of room when it’s time to press the button.”

The “right type of horse”

While Jusufovic was disappointed about Pinstriped’s barrier draw, he remained optimistic about the gelding’s future and hopes that Pinstriped can pull off an upset this weekend.

“It’s a race that’s been around for years, and you’ve got to have the right type of horse in it, and I’ve got the right horse,” Jusufovic said.

The Cranbourne-based trainer also revealed that Pinstriped is completely healthy heading into this weekend’s race, which has not always been the case in the gelding’s career.

Promising signs for Pinstriped

In addition to being in full health, Jusufovic believes Pinstriped is in good form heading into this Cranbourne Cup weekend.

Pinstriped finished seventh in his last start, the Group 1 Champions Mile on 9 November at Flemington. Some described it as a poor showing, but Jusufovic was proud of the six-year-old’s effort.

“He was probably the only horse in the race that was going to struggle being out there,” Jusufovic said.

“I don’t know if anyone else could have won being three wide that day, off a tempo where they didn’t go overly quick and then to get squeezed out at the 300 and still come again, I thought it was a very good effort.

Jusufovic went on to say that the Champions Mile run could be a good sign for the Cranbourne Cup.

“It’s a big impost, 61 kilos, but he’s won a Group 1, so it’s going to be interesting, giving horses like Globe seven kilos, so hopefully we don’t get too far back, and we have a bit of luck,” he said.

“He is the class horse of the race and he’s a big horse. He’s nice and strong. I’ve got him where I want him. He’s super fit, but it won’t be easy but anyway, we’re in there with a chance.”