[PHOTO: Western Racepix]
Platinum Shot and Manavendra landed Pearce Racing a winning double at Albany on Sunday when taking out the TABtouch – Place A Same Race Multi Maiden (1100m) and TABtouch – Share My Bet Handicap (1900m) respectively.
Backed into $2.45 favouritism prior to the jump, Platinum Shot was given the run of the race by apprentice jockey Luke Campbell in the one-out and one-back position before peeling into the clear on straightening and finishing powerfully to defeat race-leader Prince Victory ($51) by almost five lengths.
Fellow Pearce-trained three-year-old, Dancin’ Devil ($5.50), finished a further neck away in third place.
Purchased for $55,000 at the 2022 Magic Millions Perth yearling sale, Platinum Shot was stakes-placed when runner up to Live To Tell in the Listed Supremacy Stakes (1000m) at a two-yea-old last autumn and has now had eight career starts for a win, two minor placings and $59,473 in stake and Westspeed bonus earnings.
Later in the day stablemate Manavendra ($5) landed the first win of his campaign when stepping up in distance to 1900m with William Pike aboard for the first time.
The Deep Field four-year-old was settled one-out and two-back in running and travelled strongly throughout before peeling three and four-wide turning for home and hitting the front passing the 200m mark.
The gelding pulled away over the late stages to defeat race-favourite Divine Mercy ($2.70) by one-and-a-quarter lengths, with a further one-and-a-quarter lengths to Duchees Demerit ($4.60) in third place.
The Oakland Park-bred Manavendra has now had 17 career starts for four wins, four minor placings and $122,261 in stake and Westspeed earnings.
The Pearce stable has prepared 35 wins in the 2023/24 season so far – the second-highest tally in Western Australia.