The two-year-olds take centre stage on Saturday with the Group III Lamaro's Hotel Chairman's Stakes at Caulfield and the Group III Arrowfield Canonbury Stakes and Group III Widden Stakes at Rosehill.
It shapes as an important day for Pierata, who has made an encouraging start to his stud career despite being overshadowed by his Yulong barn mate, Alabama Express.
The Listed Debutant stakes winner Coleman remains the only winner for Pierata from nine starters, although the vast majority have shown above-average ability. The $550,000 Magic Millions purchase resumes from a 15-week break in the Chairman's Stakes where he was carry a 2kg penalty.
The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Pierata colt Fearless makes his first appearance since a meritorious fourth in the Group III Breeders Plate in the Canonbury Stakes for colts and geldings.
In the Widden Stakes for Fillies, Pierata has two debutants worth watching, the TFI and Kia Ora Stud colour-bearer Pushpa and the impressive trialer Wave Breaker.
Fearless looked something a bit special when winning at the official 2-year-old trials at Randwick last September, and there was a lot to like about the way he attacked the line in the Breeders’ Plate, won by Espionage from Straight Charge and Prost.
Fearless was bought by James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership for $220,000 from the Highgrove Stud draft at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
He is the second foal of the Rothesay mare Matildare, whose first foal, Tycoon Jenny, is showing great promise.
After winning at Pakenham on debut last July, the daughter of Written Tycoon finished second at Caulfield and Sandown, after which she was transferred from Greg Eurell to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
Matildare had more trainers than wins. A $70,000 purchase for Robert Dare at the 2014 National Yearling Sale, the daughter of Rothesay won three and placed in five of her 20 starts while banking $52,600.
Consigned by Baystone Farm to the 2019 National Broodmare Sale when carrying Typhoon Jenny, Matildare was a $350,000 purchase for Aquis Farm, which got $230,000 of that back when selling the daughter of Written Tycoon as a weanling.
This is serious money, so it is no surprise that Matildare hails from a black-type-laden family. The daughter of the Vain mare National Song is a half-sister to stakes-placed Gold Anthem (Made Of Gold), the dam of the outstanding racehorse and sire Starspangledbanner, and the stakes-placed Gold Chant (El Moxie), dam of the Group 1 MRC Thousand Guineas winner Amicus (Fastnet Rock).
National Song is a half-sister to the AJC Australian Oaks heroine Circles Of Gold (Marscay), the dam of Haradasun, Elvstroem and Hveger, who has championed the line across the globe as the dam of Highland Reel (IRE), Cape Of Good Hope (IRE), and Out Idaho (IRE).
Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA) paid $160,000 for Matildare at the 2021 Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale. She has not been the most reliable conveyance, with two foals in her first five seasons. After foaling a Russian Revolution colt in October, she was bred back to the Newgate Farn stallion.
Matildare does not have a yearling this year, but a look at the Breednet family search reveals that several studs will be monitoring Fearless's progress.
