Hall of Fame horsewoman Gai Waterhouse declared Pierro the 2012 Golden Slipper winner after the promising colt finished too well for his rivals to win the listed Breeders Plate (1000m) at Randwick today.
Waterhouse is confident her youngster by Lonhro can follow in the footsteps of former stable star Sebring who won the Slipper in 2008 after winning the Breeders on debut the previous spring.
“You just saw the Golden Slipper winner,” she said immediately after the race. “I’m telling you.”
“This horse was such a babe literally after the Canterbury trial. I put the blinkers on him and just did a few little things with him and it just switched him on unbelievably.”
“The improvement since his trial would be six lengths.”
“If he can improve that far in 10 or 12 days what could he do in the next six months.”
“I will turn him out now and look out for the autumn,” Waterhouse added.
“You just keep watching him when he comes back for the autumn – this is the Golden Slipper winner.”
Stable rider Nash Rawiller, who was aboard Pierro in his trial and today’s impressive debut win, was also impressed with his performance and declared him a live chance for the Slipper.
“He’s a horse we’ve had a lot of time for,” Rawiller commented. “The penny has finally dropped with him.”
“Three weeks ago you couldn’t have said he would come here and win it – but full credit to Gai and her staff, they’ve got him right.”
“The more of a staying test for the horse, the better he will be. I was thinking more of the Sires’ (Produce Stakes) and Champagne (Stakes) – but the Golden Slipper is one of the strongest (run) 1200s in Australia and this horse certainly has the guts to measure up to something like that.”
Pierro, bred by the powerful Darley operation, was originally purchased by Victorian based breeder and owner David Kobritz for $115,000 at last year’s Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.
He was then prepared by Kobritz’s Musk Creek Farm team, headed by Dearne Chomatek, for January’s Gold Coast Yearling Sale where he was spotted by Gai Waterhouse and she went to $230,000 to secure him.
Pierro, by last season’s champion Australian sire Lonhro, is from the Sydney and French winning Daylami mare Miss Right Note.
Miss Right Note is a half sister to Octagonal’s international Group One winning son Laverock – thus making Pierro a very close relation to the galloper who was crowned the Champion Older Horse of Italy in 2006.
The quality international pedigree of Pierro also includes group winners Markofdistinction, Opinion Poll, Flying Cloud, Horatio and Only.
Meanwhile, the team from Patinack Farm were celebrating when Singapore champion Joao Moreira rode the exciting filly Hussousa to victory in the Gimcrack Stakes.
The filly is the first winner for Patinack’s resident sire Husson – a former champion juvenile in South America.
Hussousa is from the Redoute’s Choice mare Petousa – a mare purchased by Patinack Farm from the Hayson Bloodstock draft at the 2008 Magic Millions August Thoroughbred Sale for $90,000.
Petousa produced a full sister to Hussousa last spring while she was served last spring by former top Magic Millions graduate Zizou.
Winner: Pierro
Breeding: Lonhro-Miss Right Note (Daylami)
Race: ATC Breeders Plate LR (1000m)
Sold for: $115,000
Sale: 2010 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale
Vendor: Darley
Buyer: David Kobritz
Sold for: $230,000
Sale: 2011 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Musk Creek Farm
Buyer: Gai Waterhouse
