Having made his debut back in June with a narrow second behind fellow Yulong owned Written Tycoon colt Grand Prairie, who three starts later won the Group 3 ATC Up And Coming Stakes, Chris Waller’s progressive Pictor appreciated the step to 1400m to score at just his third career start.
With the powerful Waller stable accepting with four runners, but scratching one on race morning, the stable was left with three of the seven runners in the race, with the trio finishing in the trifecta position in The Agency Real Estate Plate (1400m) on Wednesday.
The Fairway Thoroughbreds bred and raced Avenue Montaigne (Pierro) jumped the race favourite off some recent positive trials, narrowly ahead of Pictor (Written Tycoon), with some punter’s probably unsure of how he would go off his poor effort first up as the short-priced favourite over 1100m.
Going forward and crossing the field from the outside barrier, Tim Clark too up the running aboard the Waterhouse/Bott trained grey Avenue Montaigne with Zac Lloyd taking Pierro Lad (Pierro) to sit in second just off the leader.
With Clark quickening up aboard the leader heading into the 600m mark, McDonald was sitting in fourth aboard Pictor with his stablemate Panova (Trapeze Artist) tracking his every move.
Still two lengths clear with 300m to run, Avenue Montaigne was giving a good sight but once McDonald pushed the button on Pictor, the colt sprinted to the lead, and while the winning margin over Panova was just a half-length, the winner clearly had something in hand.
One of just two 4yos in the field, the third of Waller’s runners, the Woppitt Bloodstock raced Emballee (Pierro) worked home well to finish third, three parts of a length behind the second placed horse with the race favourite Avenue Montaigne weakening to fourth.
Bred by Yulong, Pictor is the first foal of the six-time winning Zoustar mare Be My Star, who also finished fourth in the Group 3 SAJC Proud Miss Stakes during her race career.
Offered by Brett Howard’s Glenesk Thoroughbreds at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, Yulong purchased Be My Star as a breeding proposition for just $160,000.
Sent to Written Tycoon in her first season at stud, the resulting foal was sold through Yulong’s 2024 Inglis Premier yearling sale draft where he was knocked down to CH Bloodstock for $150,000.
Later re-offered at the 2024 Inglis Ready2Race Sale through the draft of Leanach Lodge, it was a full circle moment with Yulong purchasing the colt back for $525,000, the very same sale they purchased back Signature Scent (Written Tycoon) for $1m, with that filly now a dual winner coupled with a Group 3 and Listed fourth, from just four starts.
From the extended family of Group 1 Oakleigh Plate winner Uncommon James (Cable Bay), Be My Star foaled a colt by Lucky Vega (IRE) before unfortunately slipping to Pierata before foaling a filly by Lucky Vega on September 20.
