Less than six months away from his first runners hitting the track, Yulong has secured Pierata, one of Australia’s hottest young stallions, to join their 2023 roster.
A city winner and Group performed as a juvenile, Pierata was Group 1 placed over a mile as a three-year-old before proving to be most brilliant as a sprinter, taking out the G1 All-Aged Stakes.
In a sensational demonstration of his incredible speed, Pierata won the G3 Sydney Stakes in a quicker time than Redzel’s $10m The Everest victory over the same distance, the next race on the card that day.
After soundly defeating Trekking in the $1 million Redzel Stakes, Pierata narrowly missed out on back-to-back All Aged Stakes when second in a stirring battle to Tofane in 2020.
He mixed it with some of the world’s highest-rated sprinters of recent years throughout his career, including Redzel, Classique Legend, Santa Ana Lane, Trapeze Artist, Bivouac, Brutal and Exceedance.
Winning nine of his 26 starts, Pierata was consistently brilliant at the elite level, in all defeating 39 individual Group 1 winners of 79 Group 1 races and rated amongst the world’s best sprinters in 2019.
Pierata’s first yearlings made an excellent impression on buyers this year, starting with a bang at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale where they averaged $247,500; 5.6 times his initial service fee, and selling for up to $800,000.
In securing the most successful entire by outstanding sire Pierro, Yulong’s Chief Operation Officer Sam Fairgray was delighted with the latest addition to the Yulong roster.
“Pierata finished outside the top five just twice in his career,” Fairgray said.
“Few stallions these days have such complete racing campaigns as Pierata, and throughout his career he showed his incredible soundness, brilliance and raw talent – all qualities that put him on track for success as a stallion.
“To acquire him at this point in his career, just months away from his first runners, is incredibly exciting for both Yulong and the Victorian industry. We’ve seen how well-received his first yearlings were at the sales this year.”
Pierata has been well supported by the industry since his announcement at stud, first in the Hunter Valley for his debut season, covering 169 mares, then in Queensland where he covered books of 143 and 139 mares.
“From a practical level, the investment made into his second- and third-year mares means the momentum will keep going over the next couple of years, and we’re looking forward to planning matings for Pierata to some of our elite broodmares at Yulong.
Big things are expected as Pierata’s first crop progress towards their racecourse debuts, not least after his standout first book of mares led to a great reception at Magic Millions in January.
“He’s a stunning individual himself and we have seen him produce beautiful types in a similar mold that have been picked up by all the top trainers,” said Fairgray.
At the head of those was the first foal from dual Group 1-winning mare Loving Gaby, a filly who sold to Ciaron Maher and David Eustace for $800,000, while a colt sold to Guy Mulcaster for $650,000. Matt Laurie and Justin Bahen secured a colt for $550,000, while Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott picked up a filly for $500,000.
