Pierata Confirms Group One Potential

Tara Madgwick - Sunday December 3
Greg Hickman has always had a huge opinion of three year-old Pierro colt Pierata and it proved justified at Doomben on Saturday when he powered clear to win the $100,000 BRC Winning Rupert Plate by nearly three lengths.

Having his first run back from a lengthy spell, Pierata raced up on the pace from gate one for Corey Brown and was in a different class to the line to win the 1200 metre sprint as he pleased.

PierataPierata's owners recently knocked back a $1million offer for the talented colt and Hickman thinks he will soon be worth much more than that.

His dominant Winning Rupert Plate win was the first plank in a plan that will culminate in the $2m 3YO Gold Coast Magic Millions Guineas next month, and also potentially net an extra $500,000 summer crown bonus for winning any three of five designated 3YO races in Queensland.

"He's got the potential to win the Group I race up in this area or maybe down in Sydney over the autumn," said Corey Brown.

"He was pretty much the only reason I came to Brisbane today.

"He has still got more to offer, he put paid to them quite easily today but the further he goes the better he is going to get.

"If you don't see a real good horse this prep you will see a real good horse next prep."
Brown gave Pierata a lovely run behind leader Bring It Home Pop and Pierata did the rest.

"He has matured, he is still not there yet but he keeps on improving," Greg Hickman said.

"Our main plan is the Magic Millions race but we will be here for these (summer crown) races.

"He will be hard to beat in all of them."

Group II placed last season, Pierata has the overall record of two wins and a placing from five starts with prizemoney just shy of $130,000.

A $160,000 Magic Millions purchase for Greg Hickman from the Kitchwin Hills draft, Pierata was bred by Hobartville Stud and is a half-brother to Group III winning juvenile Ashokan.

He is the fourth winner from Group III winning Flying Spur mare November Flight, who produced a colt foal by Rubick this spring.

Pierata was the second smart winner on Saturday for Pierro, who also captured the open juvenile event at Rosehill in Sydney with Perfect Pitch.

Perfect PitchThe Gary Portelli trained filly was slowly away on debut last month when chasing home promising filly Gongs for third on debut at Canterbury, but took plenty of improvement from that outing in both fitness and experience.

She raced up on the pace for Rachel King and fought on tenaciously to claim a head win in the 1100 metre dash over the favourite Miss Invincible.

Perfect Pitch was a $100,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Southern Cross Breeders draft for Laurel Oak Bloodstock in whose colours she runs.

Gary Portelli has intimate knowledge of Perfect Pitch, having trained the mother Absolutely Flying and half-sister Lipizzan for Laurel Oak Bloodstock.

"I was pretty confident coming into today but no one wanted to talk about this filly," Portelli said.

"She had no luck at Canterbury, I think she should have finished a lot closer to the winner and she'd come on since the run.

"What you saw today is probably just a taste of what's going to come.

"She's got a real stayer's action for mine and I think she's going to be a nice three-year-old later on so I probably wouldn't push onto the Magic Millions."

Perfect Pitch is the second winner from Absolutely Flying, a placed Commands three-quarter sister to Group II winner Camporella from stakes-winner Really Flying.
Pierro
Pierro also sired smart filly Aeecee Tong De to win at Canterbury on Friday night giving him three smart metropolitan winners in two days. (read about here here)

Coolmore's Golden Slipper winning son of Lonhro is the leading Australian Second Crop sire with 18 winners of over $2.1million highlighted by four stakes-winners Pinot, Levendi, Kentucky Breeze and Satin Slipper.

Pierro has 17 yearlings for Magic Millions and nine for Inglis Classic.

Images Steve Hart.
Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Saturday November 23
Here is the full list of 117 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
$900,000 Pierro Colt Bred on Magic Cross Leads the Way
Waikato bloodstock agent Garry Carvell went home with the horse he wanted on the first day of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale.
Nicks That Click – One of the Best
Two of Australia’s biggest farms in Arrowfield and Coolmore have very different stallion rosters, but in the instance of this nick they have created a match made in heaven.
Wings Of Song Makes Stunning Return
A star of the carnivals in Tasmania and South Australia, Wings Of Song made a triumphant return from a 30-week break to capture Saturday’s Rosemont Stud Pendant (1400m) at Cranbourne.
Pierro’s $1 Million Son Dragon Leap Stakes His Claim for the NZ Derby
Talented three-year-old Dragon Leap (Pierro) stamped his Derby credentials with his winning effort in the Group II Jamieson Park Auckland Guineas (1600m) at Ellerslie on Wednesday.
Best On Breeding
Group 1 action with the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington where the 'favourite for everything in 2020' Russian Camelot will have the red carpet rolled out, with other highlights being the return of Farnan in a fascinating Group II  Run to the Rose Stakes at Rosehill, and with stakes action and million-dollar babies galore, just buckle up for another magnificent day of racing aroun
Another Feature Win for La Crique
La Crique sprouted wings in the Pukekohe straight on Saturday to come from a near-hopeless position and win the Gr.2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) in a photo finish.
Gringotts Continues Kiwi Winning Run in $1million The Gong
Kiwi bred Gringotts continued his coming-of-age campaign with a powerhouse front-running performance under 60kg to win Saturday’s Group III A$1 million The Illawarra Mercury Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange.
Yes Yes Yes Filly wins $100,000 Crystal Slipper
The $100,000 WATC Magic Millions Crystal Slipper (1100m) at Ascot on Saturday drew a competitive field of 13 and Yes Yes Yes filly Yes Queen produced a brilliant performance to score a dominant debut victory.
$550,000 Pierro Filly Brings Joy to Queenslanders
Coolmore’s Golden Slipper winner Pierro is currently the leading sire in the country by earnings and stakes-winners, but has been somewhat flying under the radar at Magic Millions with a filly from Phoenix Park selling on Friday for $550,000.