Bigger Fish to Fry for Pierro Stayer

Winner of the Listed VRC St Leger last year after finishing fifth in the Group I ATC Australian Derby won by Quick Thinker, promising stayer Sacramento (4g Pierro x Alzora, by Redoute's Choice) showed his class with a dominant front running win at Randwick on Saturday.

Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Sacramento controlled the 2000m Benchmark 88 race throughout for Sam Clipperton, coasting home to win by two and a quarter lengths.

Sacramento won as he pleased taking his overall record to five wins and three placings from 15 starts with prizemoney topping $300,000.

Adrian Bott indicated the immediate plans for Sacramento were aimed towards working through his grades before an assault on bigger races in the spring.

Pierro had his first Melbourne Cup runner last year when progressive stayer Persan ran a bold fifth to Twilight Payment after winning the Group III VRC Bart Cummings, so connections may well see Sacramento chase a similar path.

“I don’t know how far we will test him and throw him in the deep end this campaign because we want to set him up for the spring,” Bott said.

“He is a talented stayer. It’s all about building confidence with him, building strength. He is still learning to stay and still improving.”

A $160,000 Inglis Premier purchase from the Supreme Thoroughbreds draft for Paul Moroney Bloodstock, Sacramento was bred by highly successful Victorian breeder Robert Crabtree.

He is the second foal and first winner for Group III winning Redoute’s Choice mare Alzora, who was effective up to 2000 metres and her second dam is by Sadler’s Wells giving Sacramento a 4 x 4 double cross of the legendary sire.