Matamata horseman Darryn Weatherley is in good spirits after his classy three-year-old Pier drew barrier five for Saturday’s Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.
The son of Proisir has won two of his three starts, including an easy last-start victory in the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) and has been installed a $3.80 for the $550,000 feature.
Pier flew to Christchurch on Tuesday and had settled in well under the watchful eye of Weatherley’s daughter Briar, whom he trains in partnership with.
“Briar is really happy with him. He never turned a hair on the flight and got straight into his tucker. He had a little canter around on Wednesday morning and seems to be really quite settled. He is spot on and we are happy with where he is at,” Weatherley said.
“If you had of asked me what barrier I would have liked, I would have said five or six so I am very happy with that.
“I will pretty much leave it to Michael (McNab, jockey) but it would be nice if he begins well and ends up in a trailing position somewhere.”
While Pier has previously won on Soft5 conditions, with warm weather in Christchurch, the track will likely be Good on raceday, and Weatherley believes the firmer surface won’t be an issue.
“He has quite an electrifying sprint and the better the track the more beneficial it will be for him,” he said.
Adding an extra dynamic to the 2000 Guineas is the addition of smart fillies Prowess ($4.50) and Diss Is Dramatic ($10), while Mark Walker will saddle three runners including Cognito ($5.50), Dynastic ($6) and Malborough Bay ($18).
“All 13 of them look hard to beat but Prowess looks pretty smart. Te Akau have won the Guineas more times than I have had feeds so you never want to discount them either,” Weatherley said.
Along with his wife Lou, Weatherley bred Pier in partnership with Barry Wright and the trio share in the ownership with Leviathan Australian owner Ozzie Kheir, who was quick to spot the talented youngster at the trials and buy-in.
Weatherley said Pier had been a no fuss horse that showed good ability from the outset.
“He is really easy to have around, he would be quite happy standing next to me by a bar leaner at the pub. There are no dramas with him at all, we are very lucky. He has a great attitude and is good to have around. He is one of those freakish buggers,” he said.
“We haven’t decided what the long-range plans are but he will have a little break after this and then he will end up racing in Sydney for his next campaign but whether I take him or we give him to someone else, that is undecided. I own 25 percent so we will cross that bridge when we get to it.
“Sometimes it is easier to send him to someone like Chris Waller when you have other horses at home and he knows Sydney racing inside out.
“I wouldn’t mind jumping on plane with a suit and tie and enjoying the day instead of doing the hard yards.”
Weatherley is getting a real kick out of the involvement of his tight-knit family, with both daughter Briar and son Sam in Christchurch with the horse.
“It is a real family affair and we get so much joy out of the successes because of that. Obviously we miss Sam being out of the saddle but he is still a bit part of it riding him work in the mornings,” he said.
Meanwhile, the stable will also be represented by Pier’s half-sister Maria Farina in the Garrards Horse & Hound Premier (1100m) at Riccarton on Saturday.
“She is a very good mare and looks a picture. She is very fast and on her day she would beat anything but you wouldn’t want to play cards with her either. You have to strike her on the right day,” Weatherley said
“I’d expect her to be competitive if the track conditions are good and she gets a nice run in transit.
“We are taking one step at a time but if she goes well on Saturday we may look at something the following Saturday like the Stewards Stakes (Gr.3, 1200m) or a Rating75 1200.”