Pornichet A More Mature Horse Ahead Of Warwick Stakes

Pornichet is set to return to the races in the 2015 Warwick Stakes and trainer Gai Waterhouse believes that racegoers will see a more mature horse at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Pornichet will start his 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign in the Warwick Stakes at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Daniel Costello

Pornichet will start his 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign in the Warwick Stakes at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Daniel Costello

Pornichet was sent to the spelling paddock after he recorded a dominant four lengths victory in the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) during the 2015 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival and he has since performed fairly in two barrier trials at Royal Randwick on July 20 and July 31.

Waterhouse told Sky Racing HQ that he could not be happier with the condition of Pornichet ahead of his return to racing and she is confident that the Vespone entire is ready to run well in the 2015 Warwick Stakes this weekend.

“He is absolutely thriving and I could not be happier with the way that he is working,” Waterhouse said.

“He looks a picture and he is much stronger than what we had last preparation.

Kerrin McEvoy rode him this morning and he was very, very complimentary of the horse.

“He will do it even better because he is more of a man.

“He has had two trials, he is very fit and he is very happy.

“He has matured, he has grown and I couldn’t be happier with him.”

Pornichet is set to be Waterhouse’s only runner in the 2015 Warwick Stakes field after she revealed this morning that Queen Of The Turf Stakes winner Amanpour will not take her place in the Group 2 event.

Amanpour was included in the nominations for both the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m) and the Group 3 Toy Show Quality (1300m), but Waterhouse has elected to give the daughter of Northern Meteor another fortnight of trackwork.

“I was just talking to Anthony Mithen from Rosemont Stud who bought Amanpour and I said that I didn’t think she was quite fit and I wanted to keep her for another two weeks,” Waterhouse said.

“This is a very exciting mare and she worked with Bohemian Lily this morning and I just felt that Amanpour needed a bit more work.

“I hate to start my horses when they are not properly fit because I think you do more damage to them doing that.

“When she starts she will really get the attention of all racegoers.”

Pornichet is set to have two race starts in Sydney before he heads to Melbourne for races like the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) and Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m), while Amanpour has been included in the nominations for both the Cox Plate and the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.