OINK OINK OINK as PIGGYBACK Goes 3 from 5 for DYNAMIC CIARON MAHER Team

10 Jun 24

WOWEE - PIGGYBACK was very impressive winning at RANDWICK on Saturday under young-gun, quality Brisbane based apprentice Bailey Wheeler, riding for the super-successful Ciaron Maher Stable as their outstanding run of success continued.

This was a “consolation event” in the scheme of things for PIGGYBACK, as the 3yo filly was certainly on a Queensland Oaks pathway but couldn’t force her way into the field. The stable and connections were very bullish that she was capable of winning the Oaks, but her inexperience last start was exposed and saw her throw that race away, which also removed her chance of making the Oaks field.

Our daughter of TRAPEZE ARTIST is from the Gr3 Winning mare WOWEE - who won the South Australian Fillies Classic over 2500m.

Our filly is built like a genuine stayer, with ability to match.

PIGGYBACK earlier on has been the victim of her own mental immaturity to this stage of her racing career, but when the penny does drop, connections are confident she will be a true, elite middle-distance contender.

PIGGYBACK as a yearling

PIGGYBACK has well and truly laughed-off her very modest $27,000 purchase price-tag, and after 5 race starts (one start in her first preparation, 4 in her second prep), she has now won 3 races and once third, and earned $163,200 inc BOBS Bonus: $33,750

PIGGYBACK has had a meteoric rise in grade in just 5 runs.

Winning a 4-horse maiden race on debut at Gosford before going straight to a spell.

PIGGYBACK wins Gosford Maiden

Resuming, we took her away to Class 1 at Orange for not much more effort than a bit of education and trackwork for the winners prizemoney over a 1400m foundation fitness race.

PIGGYBACK - Orange Win

Then second-up this prep, she had flashing lights on, when an eye-catching 3rd in Saturday class over 1600m at the Newcastle stand-alone meeting for Saturday metro prizemoney.

Then last start, we were confident that she would be hard to beat over 1800m at Randwick, but she didn’t concentrate and did things wrong, was caught in an awkward spot in transit and also hit a flat spot. We learnt that day that some headgear would help her concentrate, and that she needed at least 2000m if not much further.

PIGGYBACK has always impressed our Team, from the moment Shane Rose completed her breaking-in education,
and the stable knew from her second lifetime gallop at Warwick Farm, however she was a little immature, and has taken time to grow into her big frame and learn her racecraft.

We are bullish that our “cheapie” has plenty of upside remaining and is a potential cups candidate of the future. However, this preparation is all about learning, and rising through the easier benchmark grades, as she builds foundation fitness and experiences, picking off the low hanging fruit, putting photos on the wall, and banking cheques, increasing her benchmark rating score to gain race starts in bigger races next prep.

On Saturday, PIGGYBACK was yet again on the cusp of missing a start in this Randwick race, after finishing 6th last start over 1800m, but she snuck into the field as a benchmark 64 in the benchmark 72 event, restricted to 3yo’s but against the males.

PIGGYBACK carried saddlecloth 16 and was allotted the limit of 54.0kgs. However, an astute jockey booking by Adam Watt from Dynamic ten days earlier, knowing that PIGGYBACK would be allotted the limit weight, to grab Bailey, who Adam knew was coming down from Brisbane seeking opportunities whilst all his local races were black-type events which denies apprentices the opportunity to use their claim.

Bailey can use his 2.0kg claim in Sydney and can get down to 52.0kgs, so Adam had secured the quality young horseman whilst the high majority of Sydney’s best were riding in Brisbane, and then we took another 2.0kgs off the allotted limit weight of 54.0kgs, ensuring our filly had a postage stamp of 52.0kgs in the saddle.

As a result, promising 3yo filly Piggyback provided former NSW based apprentice Bailey Wheeler with his first Randwick winner.

Wheeler produced a classy steer to help our Ciaron Maher trained Piggyback hold out Be Real to win the ATC 50 Year And Life Member Benchmark 72 Handicap (2000m).

Bailey was asked to be positive from barrier 5 and push forward to hold a more prominent position on settling.

We anticipated from the speed map we would be two or three pairs back off a genuine speed; and then from the 600m ensure to be angling outwards to 4-5 deep around the turn, to balance-up out in the centre of the track as the Heavy 9 surface was showing a bias to being wider.

The young hoop rode the perfect assignment as we settled 3 pairs back in the one out line, tracking the leaders who were setting slick early sectionals.

The eventual runner-up Be Real was on our back in running, following us everywhere, and these two horses proved a class above all their peers.

The race panned out as we had hoped, and swinging into the home straight, Bailey was out wide and running on strongly, reeling in the early leader to hit the front at the 200m marker, whilst Be Real was a half-length back on out outside and with last crack at us, having raced with cover throughout.

These two promising staying prospects then settled down to a ding-dong battle over the final furlong.

The runner-up had its chances but couldn’t overcome PIGGYBACK’s superior staying genetics plus her 2.0kg pull in the weights on the Heavy 9 deck.

As the camera flashed, Bailey had ridden a perfect race and PIGGYBACK ($7.0 second fav) recorded a 0.21 length margin over BE REAL ($8.50) with a whopping 3.84 lengths away was MAGICON ($21) in third. Whist 32 lengths covered first to last in the 16-runner field.

PIGGYBACK got a nice consolation at Randwick banking $105,000 with the $82,500 first prize plus $22,500 BOBS Bonus.

Whilst the Maher stable is adamant she will continue to improve with trip, race experience, and age.

Sydney assistant trainer and stable representative Johann Gerard-Dubord “Aussie Joh” said:

“Piggyback is still working it out, she has got no idea.

"She is learning. She is a big girl. The winkers certainly helped today to help her focus a touch more.

"With the lightweight, she gets through the conditions, and she is still on the way up."

Sky Channel’s Gavin Carmody interviewed assistant trainer Johann Dubord-Gerard

Gavin said: “She’s a little beauty!”

Joh answered: “Yes she is. We were very confident last start, but probably rode her a touch too close, but today we just wanted to make sure she traveled, let her find her feet, and Bailey rode her perfectly. Obviously, she had a light weight and goes through the conditions well, and yes, she’s a very improving filly.”

“She was a good find for Dynamic, she was fairly inexpensive, she has taken aer bit of time, and they have been patient and they have been rewarded, and good to get a Saturday win. Everything fell into place; they tempo suited her and the young fellow got the timing spot on.”

Gavin concluded: “Yes, that’s right, she travelled perfectly, fairly strong on the bridle, made the right move at the right time, and with the light weight, it was good to keep her head in front late.”

Corey Brown then interviewed apprentice rider Bailey Wheeler: “Congratulations Bailey, your first Sydney city winner.”

Bailey answered: “Yeah - Super! She left really well from the machines, to get into a lovely trailling spot. I was quite confident a long way out, her last run was super, she dropped in weight, and was very well placed.”

Corey then asked: “When did you think you had it won?”

Bailey said: “Honestly, at the top of the straight I thought, I didn’t know if I let her go too soon?

“She’s a very tough filly, and her run just the other day suggest the further she goes the better she will be.”

Bailey then spoke to the owners: “Yeah she was super! She bounced well and got into a lovely trialling position, she travelled always a touch keen in the mid stages, but when I was able to slowly edge out from the 600m, I had known from her last replay, she can hit a bit of a flat spot so I had that in the back of my mind. I just liked the further she got, the better she was. When she hit the front, she wanted to stargaze, and have a look around, but (to win doing this wrong), it’s the sign of a quality filly.”

CONGRATULATIONS to our DYNAMIC TEAM that Own PIGGYBACK: Dynamic Syndications Racing, Mr S D Murray, Mr S J Brereton, Mr P S Chiu, Mr M R Egan, Mr M R Alston, Mr L C Griffiths, Mr A L Giddings, Ya Beaten, Dr J Caspersz, Mr R Boekel, Mr S L Lamont, Pig Sty, Mr J Yianni, TS , Ohh Eight, Mr G R Glynn

PIGGYBACK enjoys rain affected ground, so the wet winter tracks certainly suit. Team Dynamic and the stable are keen to see her out beyond 2000m next time, however opportunities in the racing calendar are limited, so we will monitor how she rebounds from this win and make a decision to push on this prep or head to the paddock for a short break with the Spring in mind.

It’s been a good few days for Team Dynamic as our past 3 runners are winners.

On Wednesday CIARON MAHER trained our 4yo gelding NAVAL COMMISSION to win his 3rd Race in a row when he won over 2200m at Warwick Farm.

The next day our 2yo colt OODNADATTA won at Geelong on debut for the Mick Price & Mick Kent Team.

Now PIGGYBACK has become the 3rd winner from 3 runners in 4 days.

PIGGYBACK also recorded our 55th Race Win for the current 2023-24 Racing Season and she recorded our 883rd Race Win overall.

ONWARDS and UPWARDS!