Progressive stayer Piggyback has put himself in contention for a weight-for-age Group 1 competition this autumn with a stylish victory in the Parramatta Cup at Rosehill.
Johann Gerard-Dubord, assistant to trainer Ciaron Maher, said there were several options on the table for the five-year-old, including the Tancred Stakes (2400m) at the same venue on March 28.
“In two weeks there is the Randwick City Stakes. In the long term there is the Chairman’s Handicap and the Sydney Cup,” said Gerard-Dubord.
“But she loves Rosehill, so a race like the Tancred should now be considered.
“She was off weight today, so it’s a little bit different, weight-for-age (in the Tancred Stakes), but she’s staying, and we don’t know how much better she can be.”
Dylan Gibbons got Piggyback ($3.10 favorite) on his feet early and put together a well-timed run to beat Bois D’Argent ($61) by a short neck, while Travolta ($4.20) was another half a neck away in third.
The winning hoop said he had to resist the urge to take a more convenient position, relying on the advice of connections that she was better ridden more calmly.
“Before I talked to the team, I thought this would be pretty simple: just put her in the box and ride her like it’s a good thing,” Gibbons said.
“But the team knows this mare so well, and they told me she appreciates being back for those few couples and then having the opportunity to finish it off.
“It took everything in me not to pinch her early and have her too close.”
Gibbons added that Piggyback reminded him of Maher’s 2023 Sydney Cup winner Explosive Jack and, like him, had the qualities to compete in the two-mile race.
“I think she’ll run 3,200 meters. She’s got a great attitude, she’s got the same big, lanky action of Explosive Jack. She’s coming into her own and trained by the same camp, so she’s in the right hands,” Gibbons said.
Piggyback has shown potential throughout her career, but Gerard-Dubord said a trip to Queensland last spring was her dream.
“She did really well in the final preparation, especially towards the end of it,” he said.
“Going to Brisbane and the trip there, she had to step up mentally and that’s how she won the Colin Stephen Quality.
“She’s still on her way.”
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