The Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick in April during the 2018 The Championships is a realistic option for last Saturday’s brilliant Magic Millions 3yo Guineas winner Pierata.
Pierata, above, cold be a Doncaster Mile contender in the Autumn following his win in the 2018 Magic Millions 3yo Guineas at the Gold Coast. Photo by Steve Hart.
Winning jockey Corey Brown believes Pierata will definitely measure up to Group 1 company and trainer Greg Hickman agreed when he nominated the Doncaster Mile as the 2018 Autumn Carnival goal following the Pierro colt’s sizzling win in the $2m Magic Millions 3yo Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast.
“I’d love to run him in a race like the Doncaster but he’ll go to the paddock now and we’ll just look after him before we work out a plan,” Hickman told AAP.
“He hit the line super the one time we tried him at the mile in the J J Atkins and if he strengthens up a bit he’ll just be better again.”
Pierata was tested over the 1600m during his two year old season for a seventh to Capital Gain in the Group 1 $600,000 BMW J.J. Atkins (1600m) at Doomben during the 2017 Brisbane Winter Carnival.
Brown has been associated with Pierata for seven of his eight starts and has always held a high opinion of the Pierro colt and expects him to be a Group 1 winner of the future.
“He’s an exciting horse,” Brown told The Sunday Mail.
“I know he’s a Group 1 horse.”
“I thought he was a winter Group 1 horse, but the way he’s measured up again here today, he’s definitely an autumn or even spring horse.”
“I knew he was a good horse and at this time of year I didn’t want to get off him because I knew I wouldn’t get back on him.”
Brown was able to settle Pierata just better than midfield on the fence from barrier one and the $2.80 favourite was able to accelerate between horses in the straight to race away to record a one and half lengths win over Goodfella ($9.50) with the Chris Waller trained Calculated ($13) in third place.
As well as winning the $1.2 million first prizemoney cheque for the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas, Pierata also picked up an extra $500,000 Summer Crown Bonus for connections for winning three selected three year old race over the Summer Carnival.
The other two Summer Crown Bonus designated races that Pierata had previously won were the $100,000 Rupert Plate (1200m) at Doomben on December 2 and the Group 3 $200,000 Vo Rogue Plate (1350m) at Doomben on December 30.
