Success lives here

At Flemington in Melbourne, Coolmore's Triple Crown winning Champion 2YO Pierro (Lonhro-Miss Right Note, by Daylami) celebrated an elite race success when beautifully bred 3YO bay filly Pinot (Pierro-Dizelle, by Zabeel) proved her staying prowess when outstaying her rivals in the $1 million Gr1 VRC Oaks (2500m) for 3YO fillies, defeating Bring Me Roses & Hiyaam. Purchased by Eclipse Thoroughbreds for $200,000 at the 2016 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale from the draft of Coolmore Stud, Pinot improved her record to 3 wins (including the Gr3 New Zealand Bloodstock Ethereal Stakes) and 2 placings from 6 starts for $733,275 in earnings. The blue blooded Pinot is out of the Gr1 Australian Oaks winner Dizelle, herself a full sister to champion Hong Kong galloper and 6-time Gr1 winner Vengeance of Rain. Co-trainer Gai Waterhouse, who was celebrating her very first win in the VRC Oaks, believes Pinot could develop into a Caulfield Cup horse next spring. “She came to Melbourne a maiden, with no accolades whatsoever, and all of my horses came here this spring as maidens or restricted horses,” racenet reported Waterhouse as saying. “But I just watched her walk around and she had her neck down as though ‘Hey man I’ve been here 1000 times before’”. Waterhouse added: “She might be our Caulfield Cup horse next year.”