Pierata’s owners knocked back a $1m offer and Warwick Farm trainer Greg Hickman thinks the colt can potentially win more than that over the Queensland summer carnival.
There have been several offers for the Pierro colt, the most recent coming after his hugely impressive trial win at Randwick earlier this month.
Pierata was seen during the Queensland winter carnival, running third behind Melody Belle in the Group II Sires Produce and seventh when beaten only two lengths in the Group I JJ Atkins.
Hickman, who owns a share in Pierata, insists the colt has now gone to a new level and Queensland summer riches are a big incentive.
Pierata will resume in Saturday’s Winning Rupert Plate (1200m) at Doomben, in the first part of a plan which Hickman hopes will net a $500,000 summer crown bonus for winning any three of five designated 3YO races.
Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Corey Brown will ride Pierata on Saturday and Hickman is confident about reaping riches during the summer 3YO series which includes races like the Gold Edition Plate, the Vo Rogue Plate and the $2m 3YO Magic Millions Guineas.
“We have already knocked back a million dollars for him but he could be running for more than that in Queensland this summer,” Hickman said.
“He is a horse who has improved lengths on his first preparation.
“He was a little immature earlier so I just took him along quietly but now he will keep improving and improving.
“I couldn’t train him too hard early on because I had to look after him but now I can train him how I want because he can handle the work.
“He is ready to do it this preparation and we are certainly going to come away with something up here (in Queensland).”
Hickman said Pierata has arrived in Queensland last weekend and showed he was on track with a good piece of work on the Gold Coast on Tuesday.
The trainer thinks 1200m suits the colt well but believes he will run over longer distances as he matures, flagging that he could even be back in the Sunshine State for the Group I Queensland Derby (2400m) next winter.
Pierata has drawn barrier one at Doomben on Saturday and Hickman says his only question mark has been if leaving the blinkers on would be the right move.
“If I have a negative about anything, it is leaving the blinkers on, I have been second guessing myself a little bit about that,” Hickman said.
Heavy rain in Queensland on Wednesday has not fazed Hickman about Pierata’s chances as he feels the Doomben track will dry significantly before Saturday.
I do not care what happened today. this horse is a group 1 winner in waiting.
This is how good he is. His best distance at the moment is 1400m (part of the danger today), but I would have backed him last week in the International Sprint at Hong Kong. If he went up there, he would be the next superstar of the colony! (yes I know it is not a colony but you know what I mean).
Not sure he will win more than a million dollars in his career, but I can guarantee you that the owners will make a profit, if he stays injury free.
Greg Hickman knows how to prepare a group 1 quality galloper and they will have a lot of fun with this boy!
Remember, it might take intelligence to be smart , but it takes experience to be wise
Long way to go if he's to reach those heights imo and would need a weak G1. Winner was beaten in a BM70 last start albeit off a spell, and quite a few were resuming today - none of which really inspire as Group class. Super Ex will be ready come MM day
The guineas has not been a really good form guide for group 1's over the years, but I think this years edition has got good quality. Pierata, Shogun Sun, Cellargirl and Goodfella have already shown that they can at least be competitive in better grade and they will all be better at 1400m.
I think that the Guineas could be the best race of the day this magic millions if everyone shows up!
Remember, it might take intelligence to be smart , but it takes experience to be wise
There was high drama and controversy after the Gold Edition Plate at Doomben with several jockeys claiming they were denied a fair start and the official starter was then hauled before stewards.
Melbourne Cup jockey Corey Brown was particularly furious, claiming a bungle from the starter cost Pierata winning in the Listed 1200m sprint which is a leg of the rich Queensland summer crown series.
Pierata, the Greg Hickman-trained colt who was the $2.30 favourite, missed the start and failed by a short neck to reel in leader and winner Whypeeo ($6).
Brown and several other jockeys claimed there had been a stuff-up at the barriers when the starter yelled all horses were locked away, thereby indicating he was about to press the button and release the field.
Brown and Jim Byrne (who rode Bring It Home Pop) and several other jockeys complained to stewards the starter then unexpectedly delayed the start by seconds, causing several horses including Pierata to lunge at the barriers.
“All the jockeys said the same about what happened,” Brown told Racenet.
“When the starter says locked away, unless something goes off, you expect you will be jumping half a second later.
“Everyone anticipated the start but then the starter held them for about three seconds, it was just stupid.”
Chief steward Allan Reardon heard complaints from several jockeys before declaring correct weight.
Stewards then interviewed starter Peter Cousins who admitted he held onto the horses for longer than expected, but said he did it because he thought a horse drawn near the inside was playing up.
Reardon later said he would talk to the Brisbane Racing Club about having one starter for races in Brisbane, for consistency purposes, rather than the current rotating roster of four starters.
"Something does have to be done about this," Reardon said.
[ presumably this isn't a rare occurrence then? ]
Amidst the drama, trainer Toby Edmonds was delighted with the win of Whypeeo who bounced back from a below-par performance when he missed the start at Canterbury earlier this month.
“Last time out at Canterbury was the only real blot on his copybook,” Edmonds said.
“He has raced against really good horses and has raced in good company so its good for him to bounce back.
“Pierata is a very good horse so it was great to beat him.”
Jockey Larry Cassidy copped a nine-day suspension from the Doomben meeting, for causing interference on Rare Occurrence in the Class Six Plate (1200m).
It is a situation where Brown would of been hauled into the stewards room and asked what was going on, but I am being told he was telling the steward what had happened on the scale when Byrne who rode Bring It Home Pop, rocked up asking what the hell was going on.
This is the sought of thing that gives punters and the casual observer a bad perception of racing. I can tell you, as certain as I am breathing oxygen right this minute, that Greg Hickman is as straight a shooter, as I have met in racing, he loves racing good horses (he would of been the drum banger on not selling make no mistake), and when his owners have a chance at winning a half a million dollar bonus, there is no way the $2.30 favourite was running dead, no chance in eternity.
But people who do not know Hickman would not believe that!
Remember, it might take intelligence to be smart , but it takes experience to be wise
No doubt he was in to win Voyager, that $500K bonus is a large carrot for any horse which wins either of the first two races. He still has a chance but they're all getting fitter so the task gets harder to win the next two on the trot.
(d) Vo Rogue Plate at BRC on Saturday
30 December 2017; and
(e) Magic Millions 3YO Guineas at GCTC on Saturday
13 January 2018.
Everyone will be on to it price-wise, inc bookies, but Crack Me Up is also in line for a$100K bonus post Villiers should he add the Bernborough to his CV. Early doors but personally I think Too Good To Refuse will be very hard to beat in that, esp if she books a smarter jockey for the ride.
Not sure what other southerners might come up to challenge but early MM shoppers are sitting pretty. Surprising drift late yesterday which I was happy to take advantage of and apart from a 100m section around the turn where he seemed to labor he was always travelling like the winner. GC is 'one of those tracks' but 1400m and longer straight will only help imo. GL if you're on - and vbol to connections in extracting that half mil bonus.
After the late drift and what looked to be him struggling a touch on the turn, I thought we were in all sorts of trouble. But then he found a gap and, when he saw daylight, he just went bang.
He did look to be in strife at one point though. It was roughly when Capital Gain went around him. Didn't look to be travelling at all. You'd have to think he only gets better with another 50m, although I doubt Doomben and Gold Coast are to his liking.
I'm a fan of Sasso Corbaro, but the fact she is $8 second fave says this bloke is over the line. For mine they have the market wrong. As of last night Goodfella was $15 with Sportsbet, with Whypeeo and Shogun Sun among others ahead of him. That was very, very wrong, so I had another dig at Goodfella and they firmed to $11, with $13 the best around at that point last night. He is clear second pick off the back of his record last prep and his run in the key lead up behind the fave yesterday.
I'm all over him but can't say barrier 1 excites me. He will be buried away. Last start he got a dream run. If he gets the same luck he just wins. But he can't win without luck and that's a real risk.
I couldn't touch current odds, but am happy to be on at better odds nonetheless. Best horse in the race and we pray for some luck.
Yes it is nice to see the second tier horses come out and make good but we really needed one of the big boys to show he had what it takes. Nice day when Pierro and So You Think get winners. Snitzel keeps running second.
Greg Hickman has booked Corey Brown to ride Pierata in the
Epsom after James McDonald took the ride on favourite D’argento.
Pierata was trapped three wide without cover on Saturday when a gutsy runner-up to Siege Of Quebec in the Bill Ritchie Handicap.
“We
just wanted to get someone locked in and Corey knows my bloke very well
after winning the Magic Millions Guineas and riding him in the autumn,”
Hickman said.
“He has bounced off that run on Saturday and he will be spot on for the Randwick mile in a couple of weeks.”
Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!
Oh the irony. Hickman sacked Brown for James McDonald, who then gave Pierata a poor ride on Saturday and got off him to ride the fave in the big one. Now Hickman goes back to Brown.
I would love to know what Brown said when he took the call before saying ok.
Oh the irony. Hickman sacked Brown for James McDonald, who then gave Pierata a poor ride on Saturday and got off him to ride the fave in the big one. Now Hickman goes back to Brown.
I would love to know what Brown said when he took the call before saying ok.
Wasn’t there a suspension involved? Thought I read Corey was out
“Where in this wide world can man find nobility without pride, friendship without envy, or beauty without vanity? Here where grace is laced with muscle and strength by gentleness confined”
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