Rick Hore-Lacy had cause for celebration after Pinnacles won the Sale Cup

Class prevailed at Sale on Sunday when dual Group 1 placegetter Pinnacles won the $150,000 Listed Eastcoast Plumbtech Sale Cup.

The Rick Hore-Lacy-trained veteran justified his 59kg top weight allocation when he benefitted from a crack Steven Arnold ride, and the pre-race scratching of second favourite and defending champion Eraset, to win the 1600m event.

The only Group 1 placegetter in the field, Pinnacles powered home along the fence to run out a convincing winner over Lord Pyrus and Cosmic Causeway.

Arnold said it was great to see the eight-year-old, who finished second in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes two start starts before his Sale Cup appearance, get the money in one of the strongest Sale Cups in recent years.

“He's a great old horse, this horse,” Arnold said of the 2008 Doncaster Handicap third placegetter. “I think I won on him a couple of years ago and he's just been so consistent.

“He's run super in really good races, so he had a bit weight today, but he had a good gate and he hit the line full of running. I thought he might be a bit vulnerable at a mile, but he was really strong late.”

Arnold offset the big weight with a rails-hugging ride. Pinnacles settled three-back the fence and while the temptation was there for Arnold to try and shift away rounding the bend he stuck close to the inside and reaped the rewards.

The son of Fuji Kiseki powered home the final 100m to first reel in Gai Waterhouse-trained leader Fast Clip ($2.90 fav) and then hold off a challenge from Lord Pyrus.

At the line the $5.50 chance had a length to spare over the Judy Mawer-trained $21 outsider, with Peter Moody's Cosmis Causeway ($11) working home into third place, a further half-a-length away.

“We had a good draw so he was able to get just behind them and Rick said just try and be a little bit patient on him because he's a little but vulnerable at the mile but it worked out good.”

The Eastcoast Plumbtech Sale Cup was just one of two country cups run on Sunday with $50,000 up for grabs in the Sungold Milk Terang Cup (2150m).

It provided an upset result with the Ciaron Maher-trained outsider The Black Oak ($15) scoring an upset win over heavily-backed Robert Hickmott-trained $1.80 favourite Excluded.