Gai Waterhouse is sticking with three year old Pierro as the pick of her three runners in tomorrow’s Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley.
Pierro is Gai Waterhouses' top pick of her runners in the Group 1 Cox Plate. Photo by: Steve Hart
The leading Sydney trainer says that Pierro can bounce back from his defeat at the hands of All Too Hard in the Group 1 $1m BECK Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 13 and take out the weight for age championship.
But Waterhouse is not dismissing the chances of her other runners, glamour mare More Joyous and promising three year old Proisir and is dreaming of taking out the trifecta.
“The three of mine might just take the trifecta. Let’s hope,” Waterhouse said.
But Waterhouse has always flagged the ability of Pierro and has been the colt’s biggest supporter since his first race start victory at Randwick as a two year old.
“It’s hard but I’ve always been a great admirer of Pierro. I can’t see why he can’t win this race and I’ve set him for it all along,” Waterhouse said.
Pierro’s unbeaten run of eight wins came to an end in the Caulfield Guineas after being slowly away, was caught wide and the Team Hawkes trained Alll Too Hard was able to run him down over the final fifty metres.
But Waterhouse is confident that Pierro has picked up after the hard run and is ready to take on All Too Hard again as well as the older horses in the tough arena of a Cox Plate.
“He looks magnificent, he really does look fantastic and he’s a ball of muscle,” Waterhouse said.
“There’s no better three year old in Australia than Pierro.”
“He was the champion two year old and his second in the Caulfield Guineas was nothing short of a herculean effort. I think he come through it in super condition and has picked right up.”
“Pierro should atone for his shock defeat in the Caulfield Guineas two weeks ago, when he broke the cardinal Caulfield rule and went “up the hill” so fast.”
“He’ll love the 9.5kg he receives from the older horses under the weight-for-age scale. And the 2040m is perfect for him.”
Waterhouse is also praising the potential of Proisir who is going into the toughest weight for age contest in the land at only his fifth race start after being beaten by the Murray Baker trained It’s A Dundeel in the Group 1 $400,000 Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on October 6.
“Proisir is a surprise package,” Waterhouse said.
“They say he couldn’t stay the 2000m, but Murray Baker said to me the other day ‘it took all the effort of my horse to beat you’.”
Even though Waterhouse has put Pierro on top, she admits that luck in running is crucial and she hasn’t dismissed the chances of More Joyous and Proisir.
“Any one of my three horses can win, I think the colts have a slight edge over More Joyous but I think she has an outstanding chance,” Waterhouse said.
Pierro still holds his spot at the head of the markets at $4.40 with Green Moon closing in at $5. Kiwi galloper Ocean Park is next at $6.50 then More Joyous at $9 with the three year olds Proisir at $9.50 and All Too Hard at $10.
