When asked on a recent podcast to nominate a member of his 60 horse team who might have a better than average future, Brett Cavanough had the following to say. “There’s a colt there called Pinnacle Prince who’s a pretty nice horse and won’t have to improve much to be in the top half dozen we’ve had.
“He’s got to improve a little bit which he should in his second preparation, but he’s a lovely animal, a great specimen and just a gentleman,” said the trainer. “He won’t run out of breeding, he’s sound so far, and is the one I’d be hanging my hat on over the next three to six months. He might have a Xmas ham in him”.
The ham turned up on Boxing Day garnished with apple and plum glaze, when Pinnacle Prince produced one of the most stunning TAB Highway victories since the concept was introduced in 2015. At acceptances the colt drew 19 of 21 which included 5 emergencies, but multiple scratchings saw him start from the extreme outside gate in the 13 horse field.
James McDonald, having his first ride on the colt expressed his concern about the wide barrier when talking to Brett before the race. “I told him to put the bad draw out of his head and ride him like the best horse in the race,” said the trainer. “I asked him to go straight back at the start and make sure he got plenty of room in the straight.”
Pinnacle Prince needed to be the best horse in the race to win from the top of the rise, where he was still last of the 13 runners. His finishing speed was the kind only potential topliners are able to muster. The imposing colt produced a similar turn of foot to the one handed in by his high profile stablemate It’s Me in the recent Kosciuszko. “He’s probably not quite as quick as It’s Me, but he’s a year younger and may well match her next year,” said Brett.
Pinnacle Prince pricks his ears as he reaches the line in the TAB Highway - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Pinnacle Prince is raced by Greenwich Stud who dispatched him to Brett’s Scone stables as a late two year old. “You could see he was going to be a big boy and patience was of the essence,” said the trainer. “He now stands 16.2 or 16.3 hands and is a powerfully built colt. Greenwich Stud operates under a very simple theory - preserve and protect. They’re prepared to wait as long as it takes.”
Pinnacle Prince is a son of the ill fated Hinchinbrook who had to be put down after a freakish accident at Yarraman Park Stud just before the 2018 breeding season got under way. The valuable half brother to Snitzel fractured a hind leg while exercising on a walking machine.
With seven stud seasons behind him, Hinchinbrook had been champion first season sire in 2014/2015 and was the sire of 14 stakes winners including two at Gr 1 level - Press Statement and Seabrook.
Pinnacle Prince’s dam Crossyourheart, a daughter of four time Gr 1 winner Show A Heart, was the winner of six races in NZ including two at listed level.
It was May of 2020 before Brett slipped the Hinchinbrook colt to Tamworth for his first barrier trial at an actual TAB race meeting. He finished second to Galapagos in a ten horse trial with Jeff Penza in the saddle. Under the Cavanough method of “hasten slowly” it was six weeks before the fast growing colt appeared again. This time he comfortably won a Muswellbrook trial with Aaron Bullock on board.
Sixteen days later Pinnacle Prince and the Kris Lees trained Virtuous Miss were the only two horses fancied by punters in a Scone Maiden over 1100m on a Soft 5 track - at $2.70 the colt just shaded the filly for favouritism. Jeff Penza gave him a soft run behind the leaders, before striking the front at the 200m. Virtuous Miss wouldn’t go away, but was being safely held by the colt on the line.
Pinnacle Prince wins his Maiden for Jeff Penza at Scone 19/07/2020 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Such was the improvement in Pinnacle Prince over the next few weeks, that Brett made the decision to take him straight to a Randwick TAB Highway without so much as a barrier trial. The race was for Class 2 horses over 1100m with a Soft 7 track rating. “He’s a big, heavy horse and is probably better with the sting out of the ground at this stage of his career,” says the trainer.
On any other day the three year old would have won the TAB Highway comfortably. It just so happens his trainer also saddled up a rising sprint star called It’s Me in the race. Less than two months later It’s Me would score a spectacular win in the $1.3 million dollar Kosciuszko. When the exciting mare was forced into the paddock by a tendon strain, Brett was probably tempted to give his second stringer another crack at a TAB Highway. But the astute trainer had seen enough. Pinnacle Prince was in the paddock the following day.
It was eighteen weeks before a much more mature looking Pinnacle Prince was sighted at the Muswellbrook trials with Ben Looker up. He was never out of second gear to finish fourth of six in a 900m trial. Just under a month later Ashley Morgan gave him an easy time in winning a Scone trial over 1000m. Brett went straight to his office to study the race programmes over the Xmas period. The Boxing Day TAB Highway jumped out at him. On the day his confidence was further fuelled by a Soft 5 track. Was it any wonder he told McDonald not to worry about the wide barrier.
The emergence of Pinnacle Prince has helped to raise Brett’s spirits following the devastating news that It’s Me had gone amiss during the running of the Kosciuszko on October 17th. It wasn’t until the morning after the big race that filling was detected in the mare’s near fore tendon. Scans revealed a small tear in the tendon fibres - higher and less severe than another tear It’s Me had sustained in the same leg before she raced. The initial injury healed completely but kept the mare off the track for her entire two and three year old seasons.
Pinnacle Prince's high profile stablemate It's Me scored a spectacular win in the Kosciuszko 17/10/2020 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Following a lengthy spell It’s Me was sent to well known Victorian horseman Lee Everson who specialises in the treatment of tendon injuries and the rehabilitation of horses who may still have a future.
“The reports are very good and I’m hoping to have her in work by the autumn of next year,” said Brett.
The Cavanough story is well documented. The former shearer turned horse breaker began his professional training career in Tocumwal before moving to an Albury base which gave him much better access to Sydney and Melbourne race meetings. During his Albury years, Brett won 11 SDRA Premierships, and was champion NSW Country Trainer on three occasions.
After a short stint in the bustling racing city of Toowoomba he made the move to Scone in April of 2017. “Best thing I’ve ever done,” says the experienced horseman. “It gives me comfortable access to city and country meetings and allows me to take horses where they’re best placed to win some prize money for their owners.”
Brett holds the unique Kosciuszko trophy aloft. He's hoping Pinnacle Prince will contribute to the trophy cabinet in 2021 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Cav’s love of bush racing remains in his DNA. As recently as November he put two horses and a blue cattle dog on one of his stable trucks and headed as far afield as Roma in the Queensland outback for the local Cup meeting. “I spent a lot of time during my childhood at Augathella near Charleville and I feel very much at home on the rare occasions I visit the region,” he said. “I caught up with old friends and covered exes by winning a race with Another Sin. The horse went for a little break when I got home but he’ll be back at the races soon. I can’t wait to see the local punters scratching their heads when they spot a Roma win in his form.”
Brett won’t be making those little trips too often. He has 45 horses in his Scone stables with another 15 or more with breakers and pre trainers. “It’s taken a while to establish ourselves in Scone, but happily the quality of our horses is gradually improving,” he said. “We’ve got horses today with pedigrees I’d rarely seen before coming to this part of the world. This wonderful TAB Highway concept has given bush trainers the opportunity to prove they can train a horse as well as their city counterparts.”
As for Pinnacle Prince’s immediate future Brett says he hasn’t thought beyond the TAB Highway (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday week January 9th. “After that we’ll start thinking about the Country Championship which begins in mid February,” he said. “There are seven $150,000 heats with a $500,000 final on April 3rd. It’s pretty tempting.”
If It’s Me has no further hassles with her “dicky” tendon, and Pinnacle Prince continues to improve at his current rate there might be another race on the radar by October of next year. Both are exciting prospects. Both have the finishing speed with which only top class horses are blessed, and both are in the right hands. Stranger things have happened.
Brett with Jason Collett after Brazen's win at Randwick 26/01/2019 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
(Banner image - Pinnacle Prince charges home from the tail of the field to win Saturday's TAB Highway - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)