Laurie and Cummings kick an early goal with Coleman
Pierata off the mark after his first crop son lands the Debutant Stakes in style
Trainer Matt Laurie was adamant that Debutant Stakes (Listed, 1000m) winner Coleman, a first crop son of Pierata (Pierro), was the horse he had to buy at this year’s Magic Millions Yearling Sale and he wasn’t leaving the Gold Coast without him.
With the backing of Melbourne-based businessman Rob Cummings, the Mornington-based trainer stumped up $550,000 for the Kulani Park-bred colt in January, and his judgment was rewarded at Caulfield yesterday with the colt’s debut stakes victory, putting the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) immediately on the two-year-old’s radar.
Coleman’s victory was also an important first winner for Pierata, who was purchased by Zhang Yuesheng to stand at Yulong in Victoria after his first three seasons at Aquis Farm.
A well-backed $2.20 favourite for the Debutant Stakes with Ben Melham in the saddle, Coleman settled behind the pace set by Arabian Summer (Too Darn Hot), before overhauling the leader to score by one and a quarter lengths.
Aardvark (Capitalist), who was slightly slow away, ran on well for third.
“We don’t want him to be just a jump-and-run horse. It’s very hard for those types of horses to continue on through their grades, so we want to teach them how to settle and round it off,” Laurie said.
“He was green, as you would expect, but he delivered when he was placed under pressure by Ben and he’s only going to get better.
“He’s a lovely horse and there was a lot of expectation today, not only from the market, but from our stable and I’m just glad that it’s come off.”
While the $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) is enticing for connections, Laurie was already forecasting Coleman was likely to remain in Victoria for at least the short term.
“Personally, I would prefer to focus here, but that will be a discussion amongst the group,” Laurie said.
“I would rather focus on a Group 1 [Blue Diamond] with him and try to make him a stallion.
“I think it’s pretty hard to go up there, go the reverse way, and then kick on to those other places, so I’d like to keep it simple.”
The 2019 All Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Pierata, who was trained at Warwick Farm by Greg Hickman to win $5.8 million in prize-money, has shown encouraging early signs with his two-year-old offspring.
Coleman’s breakthrough comes soon after another Pierata colt, the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Fearless, won a Randwick barrier trial and finished fourth in the ATC Breeders’ Plate (Gr 3, 1000m).
Yulong chief operating officer Sam Fairgray, who was on course at Caulfield yesterday, was delighted to see Pierata “off the mark”.
“He’s an interesting stallion, pedigree-wise, in that he fits in well with a lot of different mares here in Australia. It is a great start and very pleasing to be able to purchase him to stand at Yulong,” Fairgray said.
“The feedback that we’re getting from trainers is that they’re very trainable horses and that’s a big thing when it comes to race day when the horse has got the right mind to cope with race day pressure and the situation.”
Coleman was identified by Laurie and agent Justin Bahen from the Kulani Park draft at Magic Millions’ season-opening sale and his big price tag made him the third most expensive first crop yearling by Pierata sold in 2023.
“In all honesty, Matt Laurie loved the colt. He was his top pick of the whole sale. I liked the colt, but credit to Matt as he was hellbent on buying him,” Bahen said from Hong Kong yesterday.
“His main owner Robert Cummings, whose colours Coleman wears, is a ripping fella and I couldn’t be happier for them to have an exciting colt on their hands and that’s what he is.
“The hype was very clear and they’ve ticked the first box, he’s now a stakes-winning two-year-old colt, and it’s great for the stallion Pierata, who I like a lot.
“It’s easy to say now, but I loved him as a racehorse and I reckon he’ll make it as a stallion.”
A half-brother to Perth Listed winner Liwa (Mulaazem), Coleman is the second stakes winner out of the juvenile-placed Sboog (Redoute’s Choice), who was sold to Kulani Park’s Rhys and Chloe Smith for $100,000 with Coleman in utero at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
She had been purchased a year earlier on the Gold Coast by Aquis Farm’s Victoria Peak Bloodstock for $100,000 to support the Queensland stud’s then highest-profile first–season sire.
Sboog is back in foal to Pierata and her yearling filly by Flying Artie (Artie Schiller) will be retained to race in the Kulani Park colours.
Rhys Smith described the acquisition of Sboog and what Coleman has delivered in the sales ring and now on the track as a dream result.
“We just decided from now on that those good horses we’ll just keep a share in and that way we can have a little throw at the stumps as well,” said Rhys Smith, who along with his wife Chloe, kept a share in Coleman.
“That Lonhro/Pierro over Redoute’s Choice mares is a good cross, so even though it’s another generation away, the Pierata-Redoute’s Choice looks like it’s a good cross, too.
“Mum is back in foal to Pierata now that he’s in Victoria, so we’ll have a full-brother or sister to him this time next year.”