Horse racing: Pier picks up Stradbroke Handicap consolation at Eagle Farm

Pier runs away with a dominant victory at Eagle Farm. Photo / Grant Peters

A runaway victory in Saturday’s $172,000 Listed The Wayne Wilson (1600m) at Eagle Farm was a proud moment for Pier’s connections, but they could also be forgiven for wondering what might have been in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).

Pier ventured across the Tasman as the winner of four races in New Zealand, headed by the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in 2022. The son of Proisir has found a promising vein of form in his latest preparation, producing powerful finishes for placings in the Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m) at Trentham and the group three BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben.

But he had earned insufficient prizemoney for a place in the Stradbroke Handicap field, sitting on the ballot as the fourth emergency and getting only two of the four scratchings he needed to make the field.

The Wayne Wilson on Saturday’s Stradbroke handicap was the consolation prize, and Pier grabbed it in emphatic style.

Ridden by Ethan Brown, the 5-year-old settled in third place before cruising up alongside the front-running Attractable just before the home turn.

Pier dashed past that rival at the top of the straight and burst clear, going on to win by three lengths from Sibaaq.

“He’s a horse with great stamina,” Brown said. “Third-up here today, he broke well, so I was happy to use his action and his fitness.

“He’s proven at the mile and was always going to run it out strongly today. I used that to my advantage and he was strong all the way through the line. He’s a very nice horse.

“I’m sure he can measure up here in Australia and he has proven himself today. I think he’s up to it.

“He drew a lot more favourably today. Last start, he ran a blinder – got too much out of his ground from a wide gate, but ran home well.”

Pier has now had 13 starts for five wins, four placings and $624,000 in stakes. He is trained at Matamata by Darryn Weatherley and his daughter, Briar. Darryn Weatherley and his wife Lou, also co-bred and part-own the gelding, who is a half-brother to their multiple stakes-winning sprinter Maria Farina.

“This is super,” Darryn Weatherley said. “We have been here a month now. We bred this horse. I’ll give a special mention to my wife at home, who’s had a bit of a health scare.

“This horse has achieved what I expected he would. I truly believe he would have been a force to be reckoned with in the Straddie, but maybe next year.

“He drew 16 from 16 at Doomben and he was second-to-last on the turn. His sectionals were huge. Ethan rode him beautifully the other day and he’s backed it up again today.”

Weatherley is now keen to chase group one spoils on home soil in the early stages of the new season.

“I would like to spell him here for a month, then have a crack at the first group one in New Zealand, and then hopefully head to Melbourne later in the spring.”

– NZ Racing Desk