Promising three-year-old Whiner didn’t have conditions to suit in today’s Fire Band Handicap at Sandown, but that didn’t stop her scoring a valuable metropolitan success.

A member of the powerful John Thompson stable, Whiner sat at the head of the field throughout before skipping clear in the straight and winning by over a length.

Raced by Nathan Tinkler’s Patinack Farm operation, Whiner was twice placed in Melbourne prior to her breakthrough success this afternoon.

Glen Thompson, foreman for his brother John, was impressed with the performance of Whiner considering she was more effective on firmer tracks.

“She’s not 100 per cent on a wet track, so it was a good effort for her to come out and win today.”

“It’s a bad time of the year for her to be racing,” Thompson added. “She’s never far away, she’s very consistent.” 

There are no major plans for Whiner – but connections are confident she will continue to march through the grades – particularly in races when she is on top of the ground.

“We’ll take one race at a time at this stage – we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves.”

The win continued the good run for the Patinack Farm operation and lightweight Melbourne senior jockey Dean Holland.

Earlier in the year Holland notched a Group One breakthrough win in the same colours in the Australasian Oaks in Adelaide.

“He’s a great little rider and very rarely rides a bad race,” Thompson said of Holland. ” While he’s riding like this I’m sure he will be a part of the team.”

Moments after unsaddling Holland said he was surprised a little how well Whiner had handled the rain affected track.

“I just tried to cuddle her as long as I could so she wouldn’t have to let down in (the going) for too long.”

“I had a handful of horse and she let down pretty good on it.”

Whiner was purchased for the Patinack Farm team by Jamie Nielsen for $30,000 at the 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

She’s already earned  over $50,000 and importantly is a Melbourne winner with her residual value in mind.

A daughter of Street Cry, the sire of Zenyatta and Shocking, Whiner is from the Brisbane winning Hurricane Sky mare Dedee Truitt.

As well as Whiner, Dedee Truitt has thrown the Korean winner Cheongwang (Zariz).

Dedee Truit, who all up won four races up to 1200 metres, is from a winning half sister to American stakes galloper Lord Gordon.

The family further back is proven internationally. Whiner’s third and fourth dams were both stakes winners in the United States.