The Pinnacle wins Group Three Epona

The Pinnacle has made up for narrowly missing out on a Group Three win at her first attempt with a decisive victory in the Epona Stakes at Rosehill in a race marked by two late scratchings.

The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained mare went down by a head to Karavali in the Aspiration Quality two weeks ago but made a sure thing of it on Saturday, beating Domed by 1-1/4 lengths.

Montoya’s Secret, winner of last year’s Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill, was withdrawn from the race after kicking out at the fence on her way out of the mounting yard and cutting her leg.

Harlow Gold, who finished third in the Vinery, was considered a non-runner after her jockey Damian Lane tried in vain to alert the barrier attendants and the starter his reins had come undone.

The mare jumped out and Lane came off, landing safely and was unhurt.

The loose horse made her way to the front and caused no trouble to the other runners with The Pinnacle ($9) powering home to beat Domed ($14).

“She has really furnished this time in and deserved that win,” Peter Snowden said.

“That was a good performance today.

“I’m not sure where we go now. She might be looking for 2000 metres.”

Her jockey Christian Reith put The Pinnacle in a forward position despite hoping to be able to ride her a little further back.

“The idea was to ride her a little bit quieter today, but we just didn’t get that tempo so we elected to stroll forward and put her in the one-one,” he said.

“We had a beautiful run and she gave me an explosive kick at the furlong (200m) and was good enough to draw away for the win.”

The Pinnacle’s nemesis from last time, Karavali, finished eighth with her jockey Jason Collett saying he knew at the 1000m she was not going to figure in the finish.

The $3.70 favourite Nettoya ran a half neck third behind Domed with her jockey Kerrin McEvoy saying he was forced back near last by the riderless horse at the start of the race.

“They were going slow so I tried to get into the race,” McEvoy said.

“She moved into it stylishly at the 300 (metres) however her run just levelled out the last 100 yards of the race.”