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By Ray Hickson

The opportunity to have leading apprentice Zac Lloyd partner ex-Kiwi mare Pin Me Up is behind trainer Clarry Conners’ decision to take what he sees as a slightly harder option for her local debut at Randwick on Saturday.

Pin Me Up won the Listed Karaka 3yo Million in January last year in the Te Akau colours, under Jamie Richards, and has a consistent record of two wins and six placings from 11 starts and Conners was planning to kick her off in an open 1300m Benchmark 78 race where she would have had 58kg.

With Lloyd's claim she'll carry 58.5kg against fillies and mares in the Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation Handicap (1400m).

Conners was more than happy owner Peter Collier elected to send her to Sydney and hopes the four-year-old can produce on the track what she’s shown since she arrived.

“I had her in the 1300m but I decided to go to the 1400m because I could get young Zac who rode her in the trial,’’ Conners said.

“Her benchmark is high and she has to carry a bit of weight but that’s why I wanted someone to take a bit of weight off her.

“It’s not an easy race but she’s drawn a barrier and I think she will be very competitive.

“One of my owners raced the horse in New Zealand and he’s brought her over here for the better prizemoney and she will go to stud here.”

Pin Me Up runs second in a Rosehill trial

When she goes to stud depends on how she performs in the campaign with Conners and the Warwick Farm trainer said she brought a good level of fitness with her after two runs back home for Mark Walker in late March and early April.

Pin Me Up, $10 with TAB on Thursday, impressed Conners with her close second behind Excelladus in a 1030m trial on May 19.

“She’d had two starts and came over in good order, I’m happy with her. She trialled very well,’’ he said.

“In her previous races in New Zealand she’s had no speed at all. But in the trial she was right on the pace straight away, that’s the part that surprised me.

“That was the first time I’d done anything with her and I was very pleased. She’s done sensationally since she’s been here, gone forward in leaps and bounds, so I’m really looking forward to Saturday.

“I think she appreciates the warmer weather here, she’s really done well.”

Conners sends Starry Jack and Supreme Wind to Kembla Grange on Saturday chasing maiden wins and it’s the former he feels isn’t far off a victory.

Starry Jack is third-up in the Flagstaff Point Plate (1200m) after a placing fresh behind Mount Warning and his last start fifth behind Jabali Belle at Hawkesbury last week.

“His runs have been good, he ran at 1100m the other day and was up on the speed,’’ he said.

“I didn’t want him to be there at that distance and he just battled away.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting