Pinstriped on course for another memorable Memsie tilt

The Australian

2 days ago

The start will be the same but Enver Jusufovic wants a longer journey with stable star Pinstriped in his latest spring campaign.
Pinstriped provided Jusufovic with his greatest high in racing when he won last year's Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield after a solid second in the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes a fortnight earlier.
Pinstriped beat a strong field fair and square in the Memsie Stakes but Jusufovic was keen for more attempts at Group 1 level with the exciting galloper this time in.
Pinstriped has scored important victories at his last two second-up appearances in the spring.
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In 2023, he earned a Cox Plate ballot exemption when he defeated subsequent Group 1 winners Attrition and Deny Knowledge in the Group 2 Feehan Stakes at The Valley.
'History will show that he seems to go well in the spring at his first two runs and his form sort of tapers off a bit but I'm hoping this time in that I can get more than two decent runs,' Jusufovic said.
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'He's due to win the PB Lawrence, I think, he's run second twice.
'There will be good horses in the Memsie Stakes, like there always is in Group 1 races, but it's a feather in his cap that he was able to beat the two highlight horses, Mr Brightside and Pride Of Jenni, and the new kid on the block Antino.'
Cranbourne trainer Enver Jusufovic celebrating victory in the 2024 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield alongside jockey Ben Allen. Picture: Getty Images.
The son of Street Boss ran in last year's Makybe Diva Stakes but pulled up with a problem before unplaced runs in the Cantala Stakes and Cranbourne Cup to round out 2024.
'He should be cherry ripe for the Memsie,' Jusufovic said.
'Hopefully he'll go to the Makybe Diva after that.
'Last year, I thought I had him right but he pulled a muscle or something after that.
'I think that was the end of his campaign.'
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Pinstriped had two unplaced autumn runs but Jusufovic quickly identified a back issue as the course of irritation for the rising seven-year-old.
He said he abandoned Pinstriped's autumn campaign to give him ample time to spell before his latest preparation, which has moved into the jumpout phase.
'We identified that his back was playing up and it was hurting a bit,' Jusufovic said.
'For that reason, we pulled the pin and he was able to have a really good break.
'He's come back well. He'll have a jumpout on Monday at Cranbourne but we're happy with the way he's progressing.
'His back is great at the moment.'