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Pina Sonata hits the right notes at Leicester

By Racing TV

Last Updated: Tue 27 May 2025

Bigger days lie ahead for Pina Sonata after leaving her connections “excited” by the nature of her taking success at Leicester.

Trained by James Fanshawe, the daughter of Pinatubo had impressed when opening her account at Wolverhampton only 28 days ago and was sent off the well-backed 8-13 favourite, as she confirmed that Dunstall Park promise in the Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes.

“Hopefully she is going to be a very nice filly going forwards,” said Hugo Lascelles, racing manager to owner Mary Slack.

She looks smart.
Pina Sonata (Pinatubo) justifies strong support and this exciting prospect makes it two from two this year for the @james_fanshawe stable @LeicesterRaces pic.twitter.com/tmFh8kYopO
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 27, 2025

“She needed a little bit of cover early on and didn’t get it and funnily enough her sister (Sky Safari) ran at Salisbury on Saturday and she pulled. Once she got a bit of cover she settled down well and then was very pleasing.”

Chief among the opposition was Owen Burrows’ smartly-bred Frankel filly Alfareqa who had dazzled at Doncaster last time, but ultimately proved no match to the winner here, as Pina Sonata scorched three-lengths clear in the closing stages in the hands of Daniel Muscutt to signal a rise in grade.

Lascelles added: “We’ll obviously go for a nice stakes race now somewhere, whether that will be Listed or Group Three, we will see, and then just feel our way from there. Two-thirds through the year we can see where we are at, but we’re not going to just jump in at the deep end.

“I’m excited, we bred her at home and it’s really nice when you breed one at home and follow one through.

“It was a classy run in a pretty good race I would say. I don’t think she will go to Ascot, but I’m excited and she will go for a black-type race next.”

Now we can be a bit more ambitious

— James Fanshawe

It proved a worthwhile trip to the east midlands for Pegasus Stables handler Fanshawe, who also claimed the Dark Horse Wines Handicap with Me Tarzan (7-4 favourite).

However, it was Pina Sonata that really got the trainer’s juices flowing and he added: “It’s great that she followed up her Wolverhampton win and she stepped up under a 7lb penalty with a couple of nice fillies in the race who had nice pedigrees.

“One thing she did enjoy was the ground today – I don’t think she would mind any ground, but she did enjoy it out there today

“It’s great she’s done it and also great for her owner Mrs Slack who is a great supporter of mine and now we can be a bit more ambitious.”

Rock Of Thunder impressed on debut (Adam Morgan/PA)

Earlier on the card there was a smart performance on debut from Kevin Ryan’s Rock On Thunder to claim the Orin Swift EBF Maiden Stakes.

Sent off the 4-1 joint-favourite in the hands of Jim Crowley, the son of Night Of Thunder justified his trainer’s lofty opinion with a length and a quarter success.

Ryan said: “I was delighted with him, he is a horse who has always shown us plenty at home, albeit we haven’t pressed too many buttons with him to be honest as he’s one who has always done things very easily.

“He probably over-raced a little bit for the first half furlong and Jim was wanting to find him a bit of cover from where he was drawn, but it was hard to do that.

This looks a warm race and 380,000gns buy Rock On Thunder (Night Of Thunder) strikes on debut.
The colt travels strongly into it and responds well in this likeable start for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, @kevinryanracing and @JimCrowley1978 @LeicesterRaces pic.twitter.com/7y83JusvY5
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 27, 2025

“Jim said he was quite green and would come on for the run which is what I would expect and he’s a horse we hold in high regard.

“When you think highly of a horse it’s lovely when they can go and do that and sometimes they can go the other way and run very green – especially when they don’t come off the bridle very often.

“He’s going to improve massively for the run and he’s a nice, exciting horse going forward.”

On a possible Royal Ascot run, Ryan added: “We’ll see how he comes out of the race and it’s something I’ll discuss with Sheikh Mohammed Obaid.

“Ascot comes very early for a lot of these horses and it’s a long season, so it’s a decision we won’t take until close to entry time. We’ll see how he comes out of the race and he’ll tell us.”