Fresh from a runaway victory in Saturday’s A$160,000 Listed The Wayne Wilson (1600m) at Eagle Farm, connections of Group One galloper Pier (NZ) (Proisir) are formulating plans for the spring.
The Darryn and Briar Weatherley-trained gelding will enjoy a break in the Queensland sun after a three-start campaign that saw the 2022 Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner return to something like his best.
The son of Proisir produced powerful finishes for placings in the Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m) at Trentham and the Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben prior to Saturday’s triumph.
“He should have won his first-up run at Trentham and had he drawn an alley at Doomben, I’m not saying he would have beaten War Machine, but looking at the sectionals, he would have given him a fright,” Darryn Weatherley said.
“Then, of course, he won the other day. So we’re very proud of him, and he’s gone for a well-deserved break now, just for a month.
“He is at Beaudesert and he will get a bit of sun on his back.”
The most likely plan for Pier will see him return to New Zealand for the Hawke’s Bay Triple Crown which commences with the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) to be run at Ellerslie this year with the Hastings track out of action.
“We’ve got three really nice Group One races at home in the spring over 1400m, 1600m and 2000m and I can’t wait to get him out to 2000m,” Weatherley said.
“They look quite tasty targets for him. Even if it is wet, I really do believe with the cut in the track, he’s actually a better horse because of some of his old injuries.
“He’s won on a Good 3 track, and he’s won on a Heavy 10 track, so we’re lucky that he is very adaptable.
“I’m not against going to Melbourne either in the spring but after his rest we will see how he goes first-up.
“Because of his niggly little problems we haven’t been able to get him that far, but gee I think he would relish 2000m.”
Although the Wayne Wilson was a nice consolation, connections will never know how competitive Pier might have been had he gained a start in the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m), for which he was fourth emergency. “It is what it is,” Weatherley said. “He ran a track record time carrying 59 kilos and in the Stradbroke he had 51 kilos.
“It would have been really interesting. I do believe he would have given War Machine a run for his money.”