Racing: Darryn Weatherley eyes Australian spring raid

Pier. Photo / Trish Dunell

Darryn Weatherley is eyeing an Australian spring raid with a couple of his stable’s leading lights, including Group 1 winner Pier.

Pier had a strong three-year-old season in his homeland, winning three and placing in two of his five starts, including victories in the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and Group 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1600m).

He was proving to be an exciting prospect for Sydney’s autumn carnival. However, his Australian campaign was curtailed by injury following his eighth placed run in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) in February.

Weatherley has been pleased with the way Pier has returned to his stable following a lengthy spell and he is eyeing a potential return to Australia in spring with his gelding.

“Pier is back in work. He had his first bit of three-quarter pace this morning along with Mali Ston,” said Weatherley, who trains in partnership with his daughter, Briar.

“He has been off the scene for some time with his broken pedal bone. It is just nice to have him back and we will take one day at a time with him.

“We may head to Melbourne with Pier and Mali Ston and look at running in the Foxbridge [Group 2, 1200m] or something like that with Pier [as a lead-in race].”

Weatherley said he has been impressed with the way Pier has developed during his spell.

“He is a bigger horse,” he said. “When he raced at Rosehill he was 464kg and when I put him on the scales the other day he was 518kg.

“He has improved a lot with the break. He is looking well and working well, so we are looking forward to getting him back for the spring.”

The pair could be joined in Australia by stablemate Ess Vee Are, who finished his season on a high when winning the Listed New Zealand St Leger (2600m) at Trentham in March.

“He was very consistent the whole way through and never ran a bad race,” Weatherley said.

“He has just come back into work and is going through his early stages. We are looking forward to the spring and we will decide whether he will go to Melbourne or he stays here and targets races such as the New Zealand Cup [Group 3, 3200m], Wellington Cup [Group 3, 3200m], and Auckland Cup [Group 2, 3200m], which he will be very competitive in.”

Meanwhile, Weatherley has welcomed the addition of half a dozen horses to his stable from owner Garry Harding, including Group 1 performer Tulsi, who was runner-up in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at just her second start before finishing midfield in the Group 1 Manawatū Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).

“We have got six for Garry and they are all nice horses. They have been well-educated, well-bred and they look good, so here’s hoping we get some good results for him,” Weatherley said.

- LoveRacing News