Horse Racing - Horse Racing - Williams offered Pierro Cox Plate ride

Williams offered Pierro Cox Plate ride

Monday, 13 August 2012:

Craig Williams has emerged as Gai Waterhouse's first choice to partner Pierro in the Cox Plate in which the star colt will carry just 49.5kg.

Waterhouse put many of her spring hopefuls, including champion mare More Joyous, through their paces in barrier trials at Randwick on Monday but elected to keep Pierro at home with an exhibition gallop scheduled for Saturday.

She said the colt was in peak condition ahead of his campaign aimed at October's $3 million Cox Plate.

"We're hoping to get Craig Williams," Waterhouse said.

Unbeaten in six starts as a two-year-old including the coveted Group One triple crown, Pierro has the Caulfield Guineas and Cox Plate as his two spring objectives.

Waterhouse said there was only a handful of jockeys capable of riding at the weight including Williams who won the race last year on the ill-fated mare Pinker Pinker.

She said she did not think it was necessary for Pierro to have a barrier trial.

"I may not trial him," Waterhouse said.

"I was talking with (owner) Greg Kolivos this morning. I will give him an exhibition gallop on Saturday. I may then trial him next week or give him a couple of exhibition gallops and then go straight into the Run To The Rose.

"He's sensational," she added.

"He's the best three-year-old in Australia by so far it's not funny."

The Group Three Run To The Rose (1200m) on September 1 is two weeks before the $1 million Golden Rose (1400m) and Waterhouse said that race was still on the agenda for Pierro but not a primary focus.

"It's on the agenda, using as a stepping stone to where I want to go. I want to take him to the Guineas and I want to take him to the Cox Plate," Waterhouse said.

"They are the two aims."

Pierro won the Breeders Plate in October last year and then returned in the autumn to win the Silver Slipper and Todman Stakes before claiming Group Ones in the Golden Slipper, Sires' Produce Stakes and Champagne Stakes.

His jockey Nash Rawiller will be aboard More Joyous in the Cox Plate.

AAP

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Posted by Derp, on 21-8-2012 4:53:38 PM

Tall poppy syndrome..? I don''t see any people here saying she is a poor trainer, just that they are over her generally ridiculous claims. He didn''t ''trounce'' snitzerland he beat her, samaready on the other hand without bad luck did trounce snitzerland. She showed no respect to other 3 year olds. Btw did anyone notice all too hard beat limes in a canter in the Pago Pago but struggle to get past him in the sires..? Obviously not his best run. Enough said ”

Posted by chay, on 21-8-2012 3:30:27 PM

He hasn''t even had a start as a three year old!

C''mon guys, let''s change the subject. ”

Posted by Mark Robinson, on 21-8-2012 9:11:27 AM

She might have an idea about running a 3 yr old in a Cox Plate,Manhattan Rain springs to mind!By the way there doesn''t apppear to be a great bunch of WFA stars in this country. ”

Posted by Anonymous, on 21-8-2012 7:24:32 AM

which one of u guys is an "each way bettor" ”

Posted by Kano, on 21-8-2012 6:22:18 AM

I Cannot believe how many of you have the tall poppy syndrome! To even argue the fact any other three year old is as good if not better than pierro is ”

Posted by Anonymous, on 21-8-2012 6:19:58 AM

I cannot believe people On here disagree that he is the ''best three year old by far'' He won the triple crown for christs sakes!!! He is a mile better than samaready who looked average on the weekend and the other one got beaten easily and will have trouble ever beating snitzerland who pierro trounced! Haha tall poppy syndrome is Alive and well ”

Posted by oldhand, on 20-8-2012 9:49:18 PM

I''m at fault here ratings1 and apoligies to Anonymous.
That is to the first posting below under the Anonymous name.
Sorry I forgot to put in my name and email address.
Just another senior moment...I have one now and then.
”

Posted by ratings1, on 20-8-2012 3:45:40 PM

One of you nonnies is going to have to change your name..who is responsible for these 2 statements:

Posted by Anonymous, on 20-8-2012 1:07:23 PM

Hareeba, and others knocking Gai, your sad sad people with most likely nothing good to say about anyone.
I agree 100% with what Stevez says.
Gai is a great representative to NSW racing and her knockers can go on sucking their dummies for mine.

Posted by Anonymous, on 19-8-2012 5:13:02 PM

That may be so ammy she may know her horses. But honestly the amount of ridiculous statements that she makes about her horses she has to get some of them right eventually!! Of I remember correctly she once mentioned on an interview that king lionheart would win an Epsom haha she is a serial pest I regards to the way she talks up her horses!! Annoys the crap out of me personally and many other people I know.. I honestly hope pierro gets rolled this spring !! ”

”

Posted by Sofaboy, on 20-8-2012 2:53:46 PM

Gai runs a substantial business with lots of staff and overheads. Her comments when interviewed typically have most regard to what her owners will want to hear rather than what punters may be interested in. This is what annoys those punters who see her interviews as being not that useful.

People should not be overly harsh on Gai for her style here. There are other trainers that are adept in talking with banalities when being interviewed and saying nothing more than people already know about the chances of their horses. Prominent trainers such as Waller, Cummings (both of them), O''Shea, Hawkes, Thompson & Payne spring to mind.

It does pose the issue of what responsibilities, if any, that trainers have when being interviewed. The answer is that their only responsibility is not to mislead, and there is no positive responsibility to inform. I think the solution from punters'' perspective is for interviewers to actively give more air time to those trainers who are prepared to talk about things that punters are specifically interested in. Over time, that may lead to some changes as the industry really needs to nurture punters who are its lifeblood.

I should add that some trainers are always insightful to listen to and should get honourable mention. Here, I am thinking of people such as Snowden, Moody and Price. ”

Posted by tiredoftherubbish, on 20-8-2012 12:55:27 PM

so tell us Mitch what was the problem with the Sires...too fast or too slow?....it has to be one or the other I guess...anytime a horse is beaten is because of the way the race was run...never because it wasn''t good enough on the day...ATH had every chance in the Sires...FULL STOP...he was beaten by a better horse on the day...just accept it... ”

Posted by Anonymous, on 20-8-2012 1:07:23 PM

Hareeba, and others knocking Gai, your sad sad people with most likely nothing good to say about anyone.
I agree 100% with what Stevez says.
Gai is a great representative to NSW racing and her knockers can go on sucking their dummies for mine. ”

Posted by baz, on 20-8-2012 12:20:30 PM

I also remember her claiming that Bentley Biscuit was a better sprinter than Takeover Target. Bentley Biscuit failed dismally at his five subsequent race starts whereas Takeover Target went on to win four more Group One races. ”

Posted by chay, on 20-8-2012 11:18:48 AM

These comments show how she divides opinion. It''s reasonable to say she is one of the best trainers in the world but she will always be controversial because of that Waterhouse name. ”

Posted by Anonymous, on 19-8-2012 5:13:02 PM

That may be so ammy she may know her horses. But honestly the amount of ridiculous statements that she makes about her horses she has to get some of them right eventually!! Of I remember correctly she once mentioned on an interview that king lionheart would win an Epsom haha she is a serial pest I regards to the way she talks up her horses!! Annoys the crap out of me personally and many other people I know.. I honestly hope pierro gets rolled this spring !! ”

Posted by mitch, on 19-8-2012 4:15:50 PM

Ammy, im not sure what kind of freak you think pierro is, but if he was to of raced yesterday missing the start and staying at the back of the field in a slowly run against with two classy fillies leading im sure he would not have been able to nail them. All too hard was also under done and we will see him get better as his prep goes on :)
you can argue that all you like but it would be a pretty... silly claim the way the siresproduce was run was crazy.

yes it''s good seeing a happy bubbly personality but really? one of her guesses had to come true, guess pierro was just the one ”

Posted by Ammy, on 18-8-2012 9:09:31 PM

She was right about Pierro winning the Slipper, wasn''t she? I was there when he won the Breeder''s Plate (his first race) and remember her distinctly saying "That''s the Golden Slipper winner." While she can exaggerate, she knows what she''s talking about when it comes to her horses.
And Mitch? Pierro has beaten All Too Hard and Samaready. While Samaready had excuses, All Too Hard did not. You can even argue that he''s beaten All Too Hard twice, as Snitzerland and Driefontein thumped him. ”

Posted by stevez, on 18-8-2012 1:27:54 AM

Whenever I see Gai on tv, I think she is just the brightest light in racing, despite me not always agreeing with what she says. When she retires, there is not one peson who could replace the exuberant persona she displays in the media. ”

Posted by mitch, on 17-8-2012 3:23:04 PM

well tom don''t you think its a little disrespectful to anyone else who owns a good three year old? "he is the best three year old in australia by so far"

i''m sure all too hard and samaready''s owners would have something to say about that anyway. ”

Posted by Tom, on 17-8-2012 7:22:48 AM

hareeba, furthermore to what I just posted, may I ask why you would use the word "hate"?
It''s a very, very strong word to be using for someone that is doing nothing wrong, other than having some confidence in her abilities and the horses in her yard.

Australians are well known for wanting to cut the tall poppy down, and bringing anyone who dares to reach for the stars back down to Earth.

I find it terribly sad. ”

Posted by Tom, on 17-8-2012 7:21:06 AM

I would rather listen to Gai, and her bristling confidence, as opposed to some tired old cliched garbage about how the horse is well, and we are just "taking it one race at a time before we pick out his next run", or the horse "should be thereabouts", or he will "be in the finish" or he will hopefully "put his best foot forward". ”

Posted by baz, on 16-8-2012 10:04:59 AM

Has a well known reputation for shooting off at the mouth ”

Posted by chay, on 16-8-2012 8:50:46 AM

Let''s see if he''s as good as So You Think was at the same age. ”

Posted by stevez, on 15-8-2012 8:19:51 PM

There are plenty of good 3 year-olds that haven''t made the step-up to 2000m. Let''s see how he comes up against the opposition this time in. Typical Gai predictions, but she''s been right many times. ”

Posted by hareeba, on 14-8-2012 6:24:26 PM

"He''s the best three-year-old in Australia by so far it''s not funny."

She just makes you want to hate her with idiotic comments like that. ”

Posted by pete, on 14-8-2012 12:49:50 PM

Hey Gai, if you can''t get Williams try for G.Boss, he''s done the job for you on many occasions in the past and nobody rides Moonee Valley better than him ! ”

Posted by oldhand, on 14-8-2012 12:14:57 PM

Good choice of jockey Gai!
You won''t find a better lightweight jockey than Craig in my opinion anywhere. ”