Platinum Pantheon earns Guineas shot

Exciting three-year-old gelding Platinum Pantheon (Hanseatic) has made his way across the Tasman where he will commence his Queensland campaign this weekend.

The son of Hanseatic has been in solid form for trainer Lisa Latta this season, winning four of his seven starts, and earned his ticket to Australia with a runner-up performance behind Drops Of God in the Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa on ANZAC Day.

Latta began to map out a Queensland plan for Platinum Pantheon following his victory over 1200m at Tauranga in March, and she was pleased he has continued his purple patch of form with his last start Group placing.

“He went really well in the Cambridge Breeders’, and I think the draw just beat him,” Latta said.

Platinum Pantheon arrived in Australia on Monday morning in preparation for Saturday’s Gr.3 Gold Coast Guineas (1200m), with his weekend performance dictating future plans.

“He is nominated for the Gold Coast Guineas this Saturday and then we will go along from there, there are a couple of nice three-year-old races,” Latta said.

He could potentially be joined by stablemate Platinum Diamond (NZ) (Hello Youmzain), however, Latta said she will have to improve from her unplaced run over a mile at Te Rapa last month to warrant the trip.

It was an uncustomary subpar showing from the Hello Youmzain filly, who last year strung together three consecutive stakes victories.

Platinum Diamond will get her opportunity for redemption when she heads to Arawa Park on Saturday where she will drop back to 1400m.

“She was ridden handy over the mile and she just went quite hard, so we will just go back to square one,” Latta said. “She has come through the run well, I am happy with her.

“She is nominated for Rotorua on Saturday. We will just have to get this weekend out of the way and worry about that (Australia) after.”