Oaks Contender for Pierro

Golden Slipper winning sire Pierro already has a VRC Oaks winner on his resume in Pinot and may well have another with progressive filly Gamay charging home to win the Group III MRC Ethereal Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.

Trained by Archie Alexander, Gamay was a Breednet ‘One to Watch’ when breaking her maiden at Ballarat on September 6 and was then a good second in the Oaks Trial at Flemington.

She took another big step forward with this performance, showing real stamina to find the line hard and win by a long neck over two other smart staying fillies in Vegas Jewel (Shocking) and Celestial Falls (Hinchinbrook), who beat Gamay in her previous start.

A $110,000 Karaka Book 1 purchase for BBA Ireland / Alexander Racing from the Highview draft, Gamay runs in the Coolmore colours and has the overall record of two wins and two seconds from just five starts with prizemoney  just shy of $160,000.

Gamay is a half-sister to stakes-winner Meidung and is closely related to her Group II winning daughter Banish, who is by Pierro’s sire Lonhro. Gamay is the eighth winner from eight foals to race from Amish, a Canny Lad half-sister to Lonhro’s $1.2million earning Group II winner Pinwheel.

Amish has a yearling colt by No Nay Never (USA).

Gamay is the 19^th stakes-winner for Pierro, who has been in hot form since the start of the season and stands at Coolmore at a fee of $88,000.