| One of Victoria’s most popular trainers scored the pinnacle win of his successful career at Caulfield today when his stable star scored a brilliant Group One success. |
| Pinstriped upstaged proven big race performers including Mr Brightside and Pride of Jenni, when he finished too well for his rivals to win the Group One Memsie Stakes (1400m). The win was the first at Group One level for trainer, highly regarded Cranbourne based horseman Enver “EJ” Jusufovic. “Childhood dream,” he said. “Footscray boy, used to ride my bike to Flemington and sell Heralds at Flemington. Started at (Greg) Eurell’s years ago, he said I was hopeless, but I had the work ethic and just patience, it’s great to be here with Addison and everyone who’s had faith in me!” “To all my staff, Kim, Linda, Alex, Joslyn, Georgia and Richard and old Tony, it’s just a great result, from a young boy selling Heralds, here I am, a Group One winning trainer.” “It’s a true Group One when you’ve got Pride Of Jenni and Mr Brightside, but of course they were first up, we were second up, he pulled up so well first up and he’s got a great second up record so you’re not going to die wondering.” “This horse has promised, he’s got issues but he’s just done so well this time in and it’s just fantastic!” The Pinstriped story started at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale when Jusufovic purchased the flashy colt for $80,000 in conjunction with renowned weanling buyer Gary Mudgway. “Just a lot of relief. We paid $80,000 for him as a weanling. I can’t afford to buy expensive yearlings, it was the first time I’d purchased a weanling and suggested to the crew to wait five months and you’ve got a $160,000 yearling – so he’s one of the most expensive horses in my stable would you believe!” Pinstriped is now the winner of seven races and his earnings have soared over the $1.69 million mark. “I was really disappointed that he laid in quite badly last start and I tried a tongue tie on him every day last week and then his final gallop on Tuesday, he didn’t impress me so I decided not to change anything.” “Ben and I had a plan that we’d ride the horse the way he should be ridden and when you go for your run just give him a bit of extra room so there’s no buffeting because I think if a horse knocks him or has a tussle with him he tends to forget about going forward and wants to get into a scuffle.” Connections will get their star home and see how he pulls up before deciding where he will race next. “Well you’re in the lap of the gods sometimes there but I think, now that he’s won a Group One, I’ll just take every race as it comes and discuss it with Ben and we’ll see whether we go to a Makybe (Diva) or a Feehan but it’ll be off to the pub tonight I think,” Jusufovic summed up. Winning rider Ben Allen, who away from the saddle is a highly regarded DJ, played the right tunes aboard one of his favourite gallopers in the big race. “It feels pretty good,” Allen said. “It was pretty much how we scripted it, ideal, to hold the back of Brightside and just follow it everywhere.” “I was going pretty well so I just had to pop off on the bend but this horse has been absolutely flying.” “He arguably should’ve won his last start, there’s a lot of doubters because he lays in quite badly and he still does a bit.” “Massive shout out to EJ and the owners who have been loyal to me, EJ deserves it, he’s such a hard worker, big shout out to the owners and EJ for letting me stick with him,” Allen added. Pinstriped is by Street Cry’s outstanding sire son Street Boss – a Darley stallion who has been responsible for many other star gallopers headlined by Anamoe. His dam, the Snitzel mare Snitzel Blast, was a winner and placed in Adelaide at two and is a full sister to the Melbourne winner and Group Two performed Moreau. Pinstriped’s third dam is a half sister to superstar gallopers and successful sires Noverre and Arazi. The Memsie Stakes capped a big day for Magic Millions graduates across the country today with other star performing graduates including Storm Boy and Autumn Glow. This year’s $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Storm Boy made a sensational return to the track when he scored a dashing win in the Group Three San Domenico Stakes. Storm Boy (Justify-Pelican) was a $460,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott in conjunction with Bruce Slade’s Kestrel Thoroughbreds from the draft of Coolmore Stud. Meanwhile, boom filly Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun-Via Africa) sprinted clear of her rivals late for a lovely victory in the Group Three Up and Coming Stakes. Autumn Glow was a $600,000 buy for Silverdale Farm and Shrone Bloodstock from the draft of Newhaven Park at the 2022 Gold Coast National Weanling Sale. She now races in the colours of Arrowfield Stud, who stand her sire The Autumn Sun, and she looks set for a bright future for trainer Chris Waller. Winner: Pinstriped Breeding: Street Boss-Snitzel Blast (Snitzel) Race: MRC Memsie Stakes G1 (1400m) Sold for: $80,000 Sale: 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale Earnings: $1,690,450 Breeder: Noorilim Park T’breds Vendor: Noorilim Park Buyer: Enver Jusufovic/Gary Mudgway B’stock Owners: E Jusufovic, PJ Fulton, Footy Racing Pty Ltd (Mgr: RC Benkel), Ms JV Gleeson, H Foxcroft, GJ Abbott, RJ West, SJ Irving, SA Douglas, MP Brockoff, DB Leahy, Quacker Wacker Syndicate 1 (Mgr: BL Tregenza), Knuckles (Mgr: KR Bruce), GC Andersen, S Douglas & GJ Whytcross Trainer: Enver Jusufovic (Cranbourne) |
