Why Pier likely won't travel to Australia for the autumn

Darryn Weatherley, the co-trainer of New Zealand star Pier, has confirmed the Kiwi gelding’s summer/autumn plans.

Pier was fourth behind champion Via Sistina in the Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) at Flemington last November having run third behind Ceolwulf and Mr Brightside in the King Charles (1600m) at Randwick in October.

Briar Weatherley’s co-trainer revealed that the six-year-old will likely stay in New Zealand, competing in the Group 1 BCD Sprint (1400m) this Saturday, before the Group 1 Otaki-Māori Classic (1600m) on February 21 and Group 1 Bonecrusher Stakes (2000m) on March 7.

The son of Proisir will have his first-up run this Saturday in the BCD Sprint and Weatherley is confident his bay will perform well fresh.

“He goes well fresh – he’s had five first-up runs, he's won two of them and placed in two,” Weatherley told SENTrack & RSN’s Giddy Up.

“I wouldn't swap him for any other runner, let's put it that way, but it is a very good field.

“We've drawn 3, so I'm very pleased with the draw.

“His work's been super, he looks bright in the eye and he's a picture. I certainly wouldn't swap him for any other runner.”

Regarding his second and third-up runs, the co-trainer explained why Pier will most likely stay in New Zealand rather than return to Australia this autumn.

“We're actually very fortunate here, the money's not too bad here,” Weatherley said.

“Getting through Saturday safely, in two weeks' time, there's another Group 1 mile at Ellerslie (Otaki-Māori Classic), and two weeks after that, there's a Group 1 2000m race at Ellerslie called the Bonecrusher Stakes.

“For the short term he may stay here, but he also holds a nomination for the Doncaster Mile.”

When asked about how the gelding is currently going, the co-trainer admitted that he couldn’t be more pleased with the six-year-old.

“I couldn't be happier, he's flying,” admitted Weatherley.

“Last Friday we took him to Te Rapa, where he races on Saturday, for an exhibition gallop between races.

“He worked with a grey horse, Kingswood, picked him up about the 800m and it was a nice hitout for him and brought him on further.

“I thought he might have been a bit vulnerable on Saturday first-up, but his fighting weight is 531kg – his best weight I find – and he was 532kg this morning when I put him on the scale, so he's not far away at all.”

Pier’s last preparation in Australia proved that he is a legitimate galloper at Group 1 level.

Reflecting on that spring preparation, the co-trainer admitted that it has turned the horse into a better animal.

“The trip has definitely made the horse,” Weatherley stated.

“He just has a presence about himself (now), and you can tell he just looks like a Group 1 horse, takes everything in his stride, mentally more mature now and definitely physically more mature.

“He certainly held his own.”

Pier is currently the equal second favourite for the BCD Sprint with Sportsbet, sitting at $4.20 alongside Arkansaw Kid and narrowly behind that runner's Lindsay Park stablemate Here To Shock.

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