First Stakes Winner For Pierro

Tulip (Aus) became the first winner for her sire Pierro (Aus) with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance at Moonee Valley on New Year's Eve, and the bay filly–who was second in the G3 Blue Diamond Fillies' Preview and fourth in the G1 Blue Diamond S. thereafter–become Pierro's first stakes winner with a convincing score in the G3 Magic Night S. at Rosehill on Saturday, stamping her ticket to the G1 Golden Slipper over the same 1200-metre track and trip in a week's time. Traveling about six lengths off the lead and on the outside through the early stages of the Magic Night while racing clockwise for the first time, Tulip began to make up ground rounding the bend and was in the clear and full of petrol as they straightened for home. She responded under a confident Kerrin McEvoy when asked the question, working her way up to second approaching the 100 metre mark. A single crack of the whip allowed her to push past Godolphin's Alizee (Aus), and she ultimately won comfortably by 1 3/4 lengths. Tulip and Alizee brought up an exacta for Slipper-winning sires, with the latter being by Darley's 2011 Blue Diamond/Slipper winner Sepoy (Aus).

“She's done it nicely,” McEvoy told Breednet.com.au. “She handled herself perfectly around this way of going for the first time. I always felt she was going to get the job done.”

Tulip shortened to Sportsbet's $11 fourth choice for the Slipper after Saturday's win. That firm's top five choices for the world's richest juvenile race are fillies (Houtzen, She Will Reign, Catchy, Tulip and Frolic), with 'TDN Rising Star' Pariah (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) sixth in the betting.

Pierro has 33 yearlings entered in next month's Inglis Easter yearling sale, including Tulip's full-brother (lot 251) in the Coolmore draft.

While the Magic Night was a showcase for the younger sires, the G3 Pago Pago S. for 2-year-old colts one race earlier proved successful for Redoute's Choice (Aus)'s proven sire sons, with Single Bullet (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) leading home Ducimus (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) by a head. Single Bullet has yet to finish off the board in four starts, and was third in the G2 Skyline S. at Randwick last out on Feb. 25. Ducimus, last-out winner of the Listed Talindert S. at Flemington on Feb. 18, rocketed to the lead from the break, but Single Bullet soon joined him on his outside, cutting his advantage down to a half-length. Single Bullet drew even with his rival coming off the turn and the pair threw down at the top of the lane, racing neck-and-neck through the stretch until Single Bullet at last stuck his head in front passing the 100 metre mark. Ducimus refused to fold, however, keeping the margin to a head on the line.

Single Bullet will now make it two Slipper starts for trainer Gary Portelli, who also saddles She Will Reign (Aus) (Manhattan Rain {Aus}). Portelli told Racenet.com.au that Single Bullet was bought with the Magic Millions 2YO Classic in mind.

“We bought him at the Magic Millions and actually made him a ladies' only syndicate, hoping that he would slip into the Magic Millions race but things didn't quite go the way we were hoping,” Portelli said. “It's funny you know, I believe things happen for a reason. When he missed the start in his run at Wyong, he had a barrier attendant holding him by the bridle and he was being silly and missed the start. [Jockey] Tye [Angland] said to me after the race, 'that barrier attendant might have cost you the Magic Millions, but he might have won you the Golden Slipper', and here he is riding the horse today.”

Portelli added, “I think [She Will Reign] is still superior, but he's honest and things can go wrong in the Slipper so I've got a plan B.”

There was 2-year-old stakes action down south at Flemington as well, with Sircconi (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}) earning a first black-type win in the G2 Sires' Produce S. Connections indicated the colt is a 2000-metre horse, and he could be aimed at the longer 2-year-old features like the G1 Sires' Produce S. (1400m) on Apr. 8 and the G1 Champagne S. (1600m) on Apr. 15.