Super colt Pierro had to call on all his fighting qualities to keep his unbeaten Sydney record intact in taking out the Group 2 $200,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill today.
Pierro winning the Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Pierro was having his first run since the running third to Ocean Park in the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley in the Spring and was able to hold off the fast finishing Rebel Dane to win by a head.
Last season’s champion two year old Pierro was carrying a little bit extra condition into the Hobartville and with the blinkers off settled just off the pace before coming down the middle of the rain soaked Rosehill straight.
A beaming Gai Waterhouse could only see her classy three year old improving during the Autumn Carnival after taking his Sydney record to nine wins from nine starts in his home town.
“What an outstanding horse,” Waterhouse said.
“First up over 1400m, first time without the blinkers on, really really exciting.”
“I love the way he was able to settle in the race. You saw him settle about fourth or fifth, he just got his breathing and then you know Nash kept picking him up, picking him up.”
“You don’t have to win by much, you just have to win and that’s exactly what he did.”
When asked what Pierro’s program would be for the rest of the Autumn, Waterhouse replied “To the moon and back.”
The Group 1 $500,000 Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Warwick Farm on March 16 and the Group 1 $500,000 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill on March 30 for the three year olds are likely targets.
And Waterhouse also has the option of running the Lonhro colt in the Group 1 $2m BMW Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 20.
Winning jockey Nash Rawiller was full of praise for Pierro and happy to see him fight so hard to hold off a determined Rebel Dane in a very tight finish.
“He doesn’t like loosing does he in a finish like that? I was pretty worried a hundred out,” Rawiller said.
“He was running along at a pretty genuine tempo and along way from home I wasn’t really travelling as comfortably as I would like. Probably thought that when I went for him I pushed the button a hundred too soon and it nearly turned out that way.”
“He’s still got that killer instinct.”
Stablemate Proisir ran an honest race first up to finish third and also has a great Autumn Carnival ahead.
