Gai Waterhouse declared after the Breeders Plate in October that we had seen the Golden Slipper winner in Pierro.
On Saturday at Rosehill, Pierro took another step towards living up to that with a brilliant return victory in the Group Two Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m).
A lot has happened since Waterhouse made that statement about Pierro on October 1, with the champion trainer producing 11 individual two-year-old winners so far this season including Canonbury Stakes winner Raceway, Magic Millions winner Driefontein and Magic Millions and Blue Diamond runner-up No Looking Back.
Pierro ($4.40) was a notable drifter on course for the Silver Slipper (1100m) but overcame a tardy getaway to storm home out wide and defeat Gimcrack Stakes winner Hussousa ($3.10 fav) by a length.
The pair cleared out from the rest of the field with Kyria ($21) another 2-1/2 lengths away third.
When asked after Saturday’s victory where Pierro now stood among her Golden Slipper prospects, Waterhouse wouldn’t split the colt and the unbeaten Raceway.
“He’s right up there. He and Raceway are the two dominant horses in the yard,” Waterhouse said, adding that Driefontein and No Looking Back couldn’t be discounted either.
Waterhouse will continue to split up her talented crop of youngsters in the lead-up to the $3.5 million Golden Slipper on April 7, with more than a handful of two-year-olds being aimed towards the feature.
“I’ll keep them apart until the Golden Slipper and they can fight it out then,” Waterhouse said.
Pierro was forced to settle back in the field after being slowly away but when Nash Rawiller urged him along on straightening the colt let down strongly to reel in Hussousa.
Rawiller is yet to be locked in to a Slipper ride but said it would be out of No Looking Back and Pierro.
“He’s a lovely horse and I’ve got a massive opinion of him for the future,” Rawiller said.
“I thought he couldn’t have been any better today. But in saying that in the next three to four weeks he’s got to take it to another level.
“I thought it was a great trial for the Slipper.”
Patinack Farm’s head trainer John Thompson was pleased with the performance of Hussousa with jockey Hugh Bowman indicating to him that the filly wasn’t 100 per cent comfortable on the wet track.
“I’m very happy and she’ll go to the Reisling in three weeks,” Thompson said.
“Hugh tried to help her out but had it been a dry track she would have put five lengths on them when she let down. I’ve still got the blinkers up my sleeve.”
Grahame Begg, trainer of Kyria, believes 1100 and 1200m races might prove too sharp for the filly but will progress to the Sweet Embrace Stakes before determining whether to go to the Slipper or wait for the longer features.
