Wayne Wilson the next best thing for Pier
Richard Edmunds • June 13th, 2025 2:46 PM • 4 min read
Pier is likely to shoot for a Listed consolation prize at Eagle Farm on Saturday after being balloted out of his main Winter Carnival goal – the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).
In his current preparation, the Darryn and Briar Weatherley-trained son of Proisir has found some of his best form since his Group One-winning three-year-old days. He resumed with a flying finish for second in the Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m) at Trentham in April, beaten by a half-head by Slipper Island and finishing in front of next-start Gr.3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m) winner Tomodachi.
Pier crossed the Tasman and continued in a similar vein, charging home from second-last for third in the Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben last month. It was a bold and eye-catching performance in a race won by Stradbroke favourite War Machine, but it has left him on the outside and looking in when it comes to Saturday’s A$3 million showpiece.
As the fourth emergency, Pier requires four scratchings to find a way into the Stradbroke field. Kimochi and Firestorm had provided two of those by Friday morning, but Darryn Weatherley concedes the Listed Wayne Wilson (1600m) on Saturday’s undercard is the more likely assignment.
“We’re probably going to just miss out on the Stradbroke, which is a bit of bad luck but it is what it is,” he said. “He ran a huge race at Doomben last start and we were very proud of him. He drew 16 of 16 and put in an enormous performance. But he probably needed to win that day to get into the Stradbroke, because it’s done on prizemoney.
“The Wayne Wilson is a nice race to fall back on this weekend. It’s not worth A$3 million like the Stradbroke, but it’s a decent stake in its own right (A$160,000) and it’s a race I believe he can be very competitive in.”
Pier will be ridden by Ethan Brown in the Wayne Wilson and is rated a $4 chance in the TAB’s Final Field market.
“We’ve been really pleased with him since the BRC Sprint,” Weatherley said. “He’s a better horse now than he was before that run. He had the flight to Sydney, then a big float trip to Brisbane, then had to race at Doomben four days later. He wasn’t as settled or eating as well as he is now.
“He galloped beautifully on the course proper on Tuesday. He was ridden by Mark Du Plessis, who would have had the mount if we’d made the Stradbroke field. Mark was really happy with the way the horse felt and moved. But now that we’re in the other race, he’ll continue his association with Ethan Brown, who rode him at Doomben.
“A big positive about the Wayne Wilson is the fact that it’s 1600m. I’m more confident over that trip than I would be with 1400m in the Stradbroke. He’s ready for the mile now. But obviously the Stradbroke is A$3 million, and we were trying to get him in there and give them a fright.”
Pier’s stablemate and travelling companion Dark Destroyer is likely to be set for next weekend’s A$250,000 Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m) after finishing outside the placings in the Gr.3 Premier’s Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm on May 31.
“We had him entered for 1800m and 2400m races that day, and we may have pulled the wrong rein,” Weatherley said. “Hindsight’s a great thing.
“I thought the 1800m race might have been too sharp for him. A race over 2200m would probably have been ideal. The way the weather was, with the deteriorating track, 2400m was just too far.
“He travelled beautifully the whole way and I thought he was looking very good 600m out, but then 50m into the straight, he was all done.
“His work this morning was really good too. We nominated him for The Q22 this weekend, but I think the handicap conditions of next Saturday’s Ipswich Cup will probably suit him better.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
