Pinhole earned himself a Caulfield Cup berth with victory in the Herbert Power Stakes, but the Chris Waller -trained galloper is likely to be aimed at another staying test.
The imported galloper took out the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) on Saturday with connections quickly looking ahead to next week’s Caulfield Cup.
But Waller said he was likely to take a more conservative route and aim at the Melbourne Cup via one of the Geelong Cup, Moonee Valley Cup or Bendigo Cup.
Herbert Power Stakes | Pinhole
Pinhole books his place in the Caulfield Cup 🏆 The Waller trained gelding lunges & wins on the wire 🤩
📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/HEhdpozFmy
CAULFIELD-ONLY LIVE: https://t.co/ZyYNNgqbuL https://t.co/xSIl5gQuv8— Racing.com (@Racing) October 10, 2026
Sent out the $3.70 favourite under James Mcdonald, Pinhole scored in a thrilling finish over Suntora ($26) by a short-half-head with Knight’s Choice ($7) a short-head away third.
Pinhole is eligible for a rehandicap for the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 3 in which he has 51kg and is equal 66th in the Order of Entry.
“I’ll have a talk to the owners, but it is (the Caulfield Cup) unlikely,” Waller said.
“The Caulfield Cup will be stronger than today, and the Melbourne Cup might see him improve going to two miles.
“Everyone wants to win Caulfield Cups, but whether you can is another story. If we can get to a Melbourne Cup, that might be a real fairytale story.
“We might try and find a path heading that way, but we will have to talk to the owners and the handicapper.”
Pinhole was purchased out of Tattersalls Sale in the UK last year and had a campaign in Sydney during the autumn and winter, scoring at Randwick in June.
This campaign, Pinhole resumed to run third over 1600m at Randwick before scoring over 1800m at Randwick last month.
“One thing he was, he was good at the weights today,” Waller said.
“The set-weights and penalties were against him. He’s ruined his benchmark, but he’s proven himself as a set-weights and penalties style horse.
“It was an important day today for this horse’s future and where he heads.
“The market got it right. I was surprised to see him one of the favourites in a set weights and penalties race as he was sort of out of his grade.”
Waller said the most pleasing part of Saturday’s victory was Pinhole raced straight in the home running.
“In Sydney he wanted to lay in, and it almost cost him last start,” Waller said.
“Going straight, here in Melbourne, was the most impressive thing to me.”
