Swettenham Stud

Bianconi gelding Pacino booked a trip to Perth for their summer carnival riches when he finished too well for his rivals in the National Jockey Celebration Day Victoria Plate (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday.

Prepared at Caulfield by Clinton McDonald, Pacino reeled in the leader Red Buttons in the final hundred metres to score an impressive victory.

McDonald said the gelding, who was most effective on top of the ground, would get his chance to become a stakes winner when he heads west for a string of feature events.

He is unsure whether he would have another run before a break with the Perth trip in mind.

"We'll see how he pulls up," McDonald said. " We'll probably be dictated by the weather."

"I'm probably going to head over to Perth in October and November with six or seven horses and he will be one of them."

McDonald has always held Pacino in high regard and he has already proven himself a galloper of black type quality with a stakes placing.

Pacino, by Swettenham Stud based sire Bianconi, is one of three stakes performers from the good producing mare Yarra Dreaming.

A daughter of Nassipour, Yarra Dreaming is also the dam of the stakes winner Honest Politician and Flemington stakes placegetter It's You.