Veteran jockey Jim Cassidy didn’t hestitate to rate Pierro above former superstar Might And Power after the three year old beat the older horses in the Group 1 $350,000 Cellarbrations Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill today.
Pierro beat the older horses in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart
Cassidy partnered Might And Power to win the Caulfield Cup – Melbourne Cup double in 1997 as well as his Cox Plate victory the following year and the Group 1 winning jockey put Pierro above him at the same stage of his career.
“He’s phenomenal, he’s a freak,” Cassidy said.
“I put this bloke above him (Might And Power) at this stage. To do what he done as a two year old, to do what he done as a three year old, and come back and win the Hobartville first up, come back to 1300m and win the way he won today.”
“I don’t like using the word freely but he is every bit a champion. Champions can do what he’s going to do, come back and take on the older horses. Look, sky’s the limit for him.”
“Bring on All Too Hard, bring on whatever you like, he’ll deal with them, don’t worry about that.”
But Cassidy did stop short when Black Caviar’s name was mentioned.
A copy book ride by Cassidy and the blinkers back on saw Pierro ($2 favourite) sitting third on the fence coming down the side and when heads were turned for home Cassidy eased out around the heels of the pace maker Rain Affair and shot through to set up a winning break.
Pierro’s stablemate More Joyous ($4.20) wasn’t disgraced and ran a mighty race to give Gai Waterhouse the quinella with Queenslander Solzhenitsyn ($51) running a great race for third.
“What an outstanding, outstanding colt,” Waterhouse said.
“Jimmy positioned him perfectly and the way he just digs so deep. Such a courageous effort.”
Waterhouse also had high praise for More Joyous who also ran out of her skin.
“Nothing can be taken away from the mare because she just tenaciously went to the post but he was too brilliant on the day.”
Cassidy took his overall Group 1 tally to ninety-seven and made it a Group 1 winning double after taking out the Group 1 $400,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) on Foreteller earlier in the day for Chris Waller.
