Pierata Colt Wins G3 Chairman’s Stakes - New Blue Diamond Favourite

Tara Madgwick - Saturday February 3

The Group III MRC Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on Saturday always looked a match race between spring stakes-winners Coleman and Eneeza with punters leaning towards the Pierata colt and they were proven correct.

Coleman won the G3 Chairman's Stakes - image Grant Courtney

Trained by Matt Laurie and ridden by Ben Melham, Coleman settled off the pace and pounced on the leader Counteroffensive with 100m to run and cruised right away to win by nearly three lengths in 56.71 seconds with Eneeza working home well for second.

 

Advertisement
Matt Laurie was thrilled with the progress Coleman has made since winning the Listed MRC Debutant Stakes in the spring and was expecting a big performance with the colt now elevated to favouritism for the Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) later this month.

“Watching him walk around today, he was very cruisy, but you could just tell he was on the ball,” he said.

“That was a really good win – the Snowden horse had him chasing a bit, and there was a split second there where he sort of looked like he was going to come off the bridle.

“But when he picked it back up, he was super powerful on the line. He’s a very impressive colt and it’s an exciting few weeks ahead.”

Coleman is now favourite for the Blue Diamond - image Grant Courtney

Ben Melham has been aboard Coleman in both of his wins and believes he has what it takes to win the Blue Diaomnd.

“The question with him is not his ability, he’s got very good ability.” he said.

“He’s just a very competitive horse … in his trials, his first one was ok, the second one he warned to get going a little bit.

“He’s had a busy prep, he trialled two weeks in a row, and then here into a race today.

“Not a lot of two-year-olds would cope with that, but Matty’s managed him very well, and I like the fact he’s got three weeks into the Diamond from here.

“He’s a very good colt really, I think. Still putting it all together but he’s going to be scary when he does.”

Coleman was bred and sold by Rhys and Chloe Smith of Kulani Park and made $550,000 at Magic Millions when snapped up by Matt Laurie Racing/Justin Bahen. He is a half-brother to stakes-winner Liwa being the third winner from Sboog, a placed half-sister by Redoute’s Choice to Group II winner Rothesay and stakes-winner Sensei.

Bred by Emirates Park, Sboog is a grand-daughter of triple Group I winner Canny Lass so comes from the family of Golden Slipper winners Canny Lad and Sepoy and when offered at the 2011 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale by Emirates Park she sold for $1million.

She was a savvy purchase for Kulani Park, plucked out of the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for $100,000 when in foal to Pierata with Coleman the result of the mating. Sboog has a yearling filly by Flying Artie, but had no foal last spring after missing to So You Think.

Three stakes horses on Saturday for Pierata!

Sboog was one of 191 mares covered at Yulong last year by Pierata, who had two more stakes horses on Saturday in addition to Coleman. He sired Fearless to run second in the Group III ATC Canonbury Stakes and Wave Breaker to run third on debut in the Group III ATC Widden Stakes.

Advertisment

Race Result - Lamaro's Hotel Chairman's Stakes Gr3 1000m

Caulfield Track: Good(3) Time: 0:56.71
1
Coleman
- 2c Pierata (AUS) x Sboog (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: M M Laurie Rdr: B Melham 59
2
2.8
Eneeza
- 2f Exceed And Excel (AUS) x Sweet Sherry (AUS) (Bel Esprit (AUS))
Tnr: P G Moody & Katherine Coleman Rdr: Damian Lane 57
3
3.8
Counteroffensive
- 2c Deep Field (AUS) x Victory Cry (AUS) (General Nediym (AUS))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: B Shinn 57
4
4
Evaporate
- 2c Per Incanto (USA) x Savanna (NZ) (Animal Kingdom (USA))
Tnr: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes Rdr: M J Dee 57
5
4.7
Scampi
- 2c Blue Point (IRE) x Sistonic (AUS) (Bel Esprit (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: M Zahra 57
More Reading...
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.
Melbourne Cup Pedigree Analysis - Do It Yourself
Breednet has produced a great page with click through to five generation pedigrees for all the Melbourne Cup runners, so for amateur pedigree buffs looking to have a Cup flutter based pedigree here’s your chance  to DIY it!
Rosemont and Partners Stakes Quinella on Cup Day
Written Tycoon posted his second new stakes-winner on Melbourne Cup Day when promising three year-old gelding Catoggio took out the Listed VRC Amanda Elliot Stakes (1400m)  for Rosemont Stud and partners, who also race the second horse Bosustow.
Magic Nick Strikes Again – Fastnet Rock x Galileo
The Fastnet Rock x Galileo nick has been on fire in Melbourne this spring producing Cox Plate winner Via Sistina (IRE) and leading Melbourne Cup contender Buckaroo (GB) and it struck again overnight in the UK with a brand new stakes-winner in Military Academy, who captured the Listed Floodlit Stakes (1m4f) at Kempton.
Best On Breeding
Dealt a blow when the colt they bred and part-owned Bodyguard was scratched on the eve of the Group 1 Sportsbet Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield, Emirates Park played a vital role in the breeding of the nominal favourite Coleman.
Tycoon Star Makes Winning Debut in G3 Maribyrnong Plate
Tycoon Star looked like the consummate professional when making a winning career debut in the Group III Darley Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) to kickstart Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington.
Storm Boy Headed to Ireland
Coolmore have today announced via Twitter that top class Justify (USA) colt Storm Boy will be continuing his racing career in Ireland in 2025 under the care of Aidan O’Brien.
All Too Hard's Arran Bay Brave in the Furphy Plate
Phillip Stokes admitted his preference was to run Arran Bay in the Listed John Letts Cup at Morphettville but was overruled by the owners, who made the correct decision in favouring the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) at Flemington.
First Winner a Stakes-Winner for Pierata
The Listed MRC Debutant Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on Wednesday produced a quinella for first season sires with Pierata colt Coleman saluting as favourite over Too Darn Hot (GB) filly Arabian Summer with Capitalist colt Aardvark a distant third some four lengths back.
Kiwi Bred Grey Wins Subzero for OTI at Flemington
New Zealand-bred gelding Cloudland proved a handful for James McDonald at Flemington on Tuesday, but the champion jockey was in a forgiving mood after they had claimed top honours in the Subzero Handicap.