Shopped around as much as $31 on track prior to the Restricted Handicap (1000m), Jeff Penza stoked up the Starcraft filly, devoid of even a barrier trial this preparation, to swamp well-supported favourite Hannah Jane and Paul Murray’s Shango.

Heritage Park manager Sean McCormick, who broke-in the horse, recommended Hamilton and Ryder send the $27,000 yearling purchase to Parker.

‘‘We had her at home for a year at our stud farm at Thirlmere,’’ Hamilton said.

‘‘Sean suggested I might send her down to Kerry. It’s a good relationship [so far].

‘‘I think we’ve always held out good promise for the horse and she’s shown it.’’

Even Penza admitted he was caught off guard by Pineapple’s turn of foot once in the clear.

Parker had toyed with running his newest stable star at Warwick Farm on Australia Day, but was swayed by an assignment closer to home.

‘‘She was in Australia Day and with a heavy track and outside barrier, I thought I didn’t want to do that to her,’’ he said.

‘‘We also had her in at Hawkesbury, and when I weighed it up over 1000m where the rail was, I thought she wouldn’t be able to make up ground so I ran her here.

‘‘We’ve taken our time with her and we’ve got a nice opinion of her and it’s good to see her do it [yesterday].’’

Pineapple was initially tried as a late two-year-old in June, but pulled up shin sore after being a safely held second behind Isle Be Ready in a Kembla barrier trial.

Merlin Mustang, the high-flying Michael Murphy galloper who won his third straight race at Kembla yesterday, also came through the same trial.

The Kembla racecourse will host another meeting on Saturday, as yesterday’s was a transferred ATC meeting due to renovations at Randwick.