Winter Cup tilt in the offing for Charbano
Joshua Smith • June 9th, 2025 1:51 PM • 3 min read
A stakes tilt later in the winter is in the offing for Charbano if he can perform up to expectations in the delayed Dunstan Horsefeeds Waimate Cup (1600m) at Phar Lap Raceway on Tuesday.
Initially set to be run on Sunday, the meeting was postponed due to heavy rainfall in the region, and trainers Matthew and Michael Pitman expect their stakes performer to lap up the Heavy10 track conditions.
“He has always been competitive in races like that,” Matthew Pitman said.
“He has placed in some pretty high-quality races and when you take the next step down from that he is always thereabouts. He has gone some nice races recently.
“Hopefully he can handle the track, and if he does then we expect him to be right in it.”
Tuesday’s performance will dictate Charbano’s winter path, with the Pitmans contemplating a tilt at the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton in August with the seven-win gelding.
“He could be competitive in something like the Winter Cup and we will start plotting a path towards that probably, but we will take it one race at a time,” Pitman said.
The Pitmans could have a three-pronged attack in the George and Mary Hennessy Open (1200m) earlier on Tuesday’s card, courtesy of Makabar, Express Coup and Zoulander, however, the latter is also an acceptor for Wednesday’s Riccarton Synthetic meeting and they have yet to decide which option he will take.
“Makabar loves a wet track,” Pitman said. “In recent years I think he has won three races over Grand National Carnival and has won two years in a row down at Riverton on wet tracks.
“He loves it wet and he is going to get those conditions tomorrow, and he should be competitive again.
“Express Coup struck form again down at Riverton over the Easter Carnival. She handles a wet track and is a lovely filly that hasn’t always helped herself at times, but the days she puts it all together, she wins and wins like a nice horse. Hopefully she can get a nice enough run in transit and puts her best foot forward tomorrow.
“We are 50/50 whether we will run Zoulander tomorrow. He is one that doesn’t like the conditions. He does take racing to get fit and he will need the run and improve with the run.”
The stable will have a strong representation at their home synthetic meeting on Wednesday, with Pitman highlighting promising three-year-old Pure Artist as their best chance in the NZB National Weanling Sale 26 June Maiden (1400m).
The son of Trapeze Artist was runner-up on debut at the track last month, and his trainers are hopeful he can go one better at the mid-week meeting.
“Pure Artist is a maidener we think quite highly of,” Pitman said. “He has been unlucky and got three deep without cover from the wide barrier first-up, but it was a massive run, and he only just went down.
“Unfortunately, he has drawn wide (10) again, but if he can slot in somewhere, I think he will be awfully hard to beat.”
Pitman is also upbeat about the prospects of Justanace and Russian Rosette in the Book a Suite Mid-Winter Xmas Races 21 June Rating 75 (1200m), and Da Vinci Girl in the Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Rating 75 (1600m).
“Justanace was a last-start winner on there and has drawn (2) to be competitive again,” Pitman said.
“Russian Rosette and Da Vinci Girl are two horses that have gone well on the poly before, so hopefully we can get a winner on Wednesday as well.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
