News

Pinot matures with age to claim G1 Oaks

9th Nov 2017

Pierro filly Pinot gave her sire his first Group 1 win and her trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott their first Victorian Oaks success with a runaway victory at Flemington today.

Still in her first campaign and at just her sixth career start, Pinot (Pierro x Dizelle) outstayed her rivals to stamp herself a staying star of the future.

Pinot was a $200,000 Eclipse Thoroughbreds purchase at the 2016 Australian Easter Yearling Sale from the Coolmore Stud draft.

She was the first yearling ever purchased by US-based Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbreds.

Breeder Keith Biggs initially told trainer Gai Waterhouse he was in for 25% but changed his mind, and James Bester was the lucky beneficiary.

“James has won the lottery, and good luck to him, but Dizelle gets a Group 1 winner and we’ve got the two of Pinot’s Fastnet Rock siblings so everyone’s a winner,’’ Biggs said.

“It’s a great result for Gai and James too and everyone involved, as well as Pierro getting his first Group 1.’’

Coolmore Australia’s Stud Manager Jim Carey described the Oaks result as “an unbelievable endorsement of the farm’’.

“Both Pinot and the runner-up Bring Me Roses were foaled and raised at Coolmore. They are both graduates of our 2014 foal crop along with Catchy, Mighty Boss, Formality and Tulip amongst others,’’ Carey said.

“Pinot’s win looks like being the first of many Group 1s for her and Pierro, who has enjoyed a stunning run of success of the last month in particular.

“It was a dominant win from a filly that has really come into her own of late.’’

Coolmore Stud is offering Pierro’s Fastnet Rock half-sister at next year’s Australian Easter Yearling Sale at Riverside Stables on April 8-10.