It’s become one of the most successful nicks in Australian breeding, Pierro over daughters of champion sire Redoute’s Choice, and it delivered another stakes-winner on Saturday with tough staying three year-old Sacramento taking out the Listed VRC St Leger (2800m).
Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Sacramento has been a rapid improver this preparation winning a maiden and class one in the country before finishing at Warwick Farm in a Benchmark 76 and then a brave fifth in the Group I ATC Australian Derby.
Dispatched to Melbourne for the St Leger, he continued a phenomenal run of success in this race for the stable, who have now won the past three in a row and five of the last eight.
Having led on the Waterhouse and Bott trained gallopers earlier in the day, winning rider Ben Melham wanted to find some cover on Sacramento, a horse that had led in three of his four lead-up races.
"I thought that breeze was pretty strong around the circle, especially the second half of it," Melham said.
"He looked the leader in a race of nice speed, but he just stepped a bit awkwardly which worked well as I was always looking for one to cover him up.
"In the end it was a strong staying performance and he was too good."
Sacramento was strong at the finish to win by a nose taking his overall record to three wins and two placigns from 12 starts with prizemoney topping $270,000.
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.
Alzora has a weanling colt by Almanzor (Fr) and was covered last spring by Impending.
Sacramento is the 23rd stakes-winner for Golden Slipper winning sire Pierro, whose progeny have proven adept at all distances.
He is the ninth stakes-winner for Pierro bred from daughters of Redoute’s Choice from just 39 runners, so the nick runs at 23% stakes-winners to runners and 74% winners to runners!
