The first edition of the race in 2017 saw Aquis Farm make a considerable nod to the roots of the then fledgling breeding and racing operation by selecting Queensland filly Houtzen (I Am Invincible), while 2018 was about finding one of the best credentialled candidates for both the race itself and for an ongoing stallion career, in Trapeze Artist (Snitzel).
Houtzen would finish seventh, while Trapeze Artist was a brave second in 2018.
This year, the stallion deal has already been done for Pierata, who Aquis secured for its slot after his win in the G1 All Aged S. and then subsequently negotiated him to stand as one of its stallions when his racing career is complete which is likely to be the 2020 season.
Aquis Farm has enthusiastically pursued the son of Pierro as a stallion option for some time, and while it had to hold fire for five months after the original owners elected to race him on and tackle The Everest, the deal was confirmed earlier this month.
The upside for Aquis from a win by Pierata on Saturday is now considerable. As a slot holder, it stands to gain a share of the $6 million the winner will get from the race, while a win would put a further stamp on its initial decision to invest in the future of a Group 1 winning sprinter in his post-racing career.
"We bought into Pierata as a stallion prospect first and foremost," Aquis Farm CEO Shane McGrath said. "He's a horse that has been high on our radar for a while. We were obviously in preliminary discussions around his future and the owners wanted to race him on, which is fine and he ended up in our Everest slot and its followed along from there."
Pierata exemplifies Aquis strategy
As a top prospect both on the track and in the breeding barn, Pierata is very much 'on strategy' for Aquis, which recently moved to the next stage of its development in Australia by appointing the much respected Tony 'Tubba' Williams to head up its breeding operations as CEO of Aquis Stud Farm from the start of 2020. McGrath will assume the role of Managing Director Aquis Farm, with a renewed focus on the domestic and international racing interests of the Fung family owned Aquis operation.
Tony 'Tubba' Williams will begin as CEO of Aquis Stud Farm from the start of 2020
The acquisition of the breeding rights for Pierata was an important deal for McGrath to strike and certainly sets up Williams for success when he joins on January 1 to oversee the three-state breeding operation.
"We have assembled a great band of broodmares and a stallion of his ilk should get every chance," McGrath said.
"For us, we feel we are at the upper echelon of stallion farms and we've got the ongoing support from breeders across the country and we've got no doubt that this horse will receive that support. That will ensure he makes every post a winner, not only on the track but onwards from there."
"We've got the ongoing support from breeders across the country and we've got no doubt that this horse will receive that support." - Shane McGrath
McGrath is effusive in his praise for Pierata's stallion credentials. From a pedigree perspective, he is by one of Australia's best young stallions in Pierro and is out of a stakes-winning mare (November Flight) by Flying Spur, who boasts both Danehill (USA) and Zabeel (NZ) as her grandsires.
"He's run blistering times, he's a Group 1 winner, he's effective on rain-affected ground as well as on top of the ground as we saw when he won the Magic Millions Guineas. He's just a horse that anyone would be happy to secure as a stallion prospect and we are very fortunate that we’ve managed to secure him ourselves," McGrath said.
In that regard, he is already made as a stallion, but aside from the fact he is running in Aquis' slot on Saturday, McGrath sees the upside of a win in terms of his marketability moving forward.
Pierata
"It’s the defining sprint race in Australia at the moment. They’ve collated 12 of the best sprinters in the world on Saturday. You've got the best of the best," he said.
"Potentially we will crown the best sprinter of the world on Saturday and Pierata goes in in tip-top form. It will be a defining moment in the career of whatever horse can win it. To be the first colt to win, from a marketing perspective, it would be huge. It would certainly look good on his CV."
Sharing success
Beyond the boost the win would provide to Aquis Farm, McGrath also sees potential success as a great validation of the work of Greg Hickman, and the faith he and the original owners of the horse have always had.
Greg Hickman and Tommy Berry
"Greg Hickman is as confident as he could be. He said the horse has done everything that you could ask of him," he said.
"It’s been a great ride for the original owners, Adam Carney and Greg and all of them. It’s a great Australian story that the 20 owners have got involved and got a horse of a lifetime.
"At the end of the day, he's a horse that anybody would be justifiably delighted with. We are fortunate to be joining in for the ride for the rest of his racing career, and more importantly from a stallion perspective."
"He's a horse that anybody would be justifiably delighted with. We are fortunate to be joining in for the ride for the rest of his racing career." - Shane McGrath
That shared journey has been a hallmark in Aquis Farm's involvement in the Australian thoroughbred industry all along, but has come increasingly into focus in the past 12-18 months.
"From Tony Fung's perspective, the more he learns about the racing game, the more he shares, the more he enjoys it," McGrath said. "To share that with different owners and share that journey, that's the exciting thing for him. Tony has always been a believer in keeping people involved."
Connections of Sunlight
It was that philosophy which led Tony Fung's wife Loretta, to become involved as an owner of Sunlight (Zoustar), who as a winner of three Group 1s and over $4.6 million in prizemoney, has given her network of female owners a terrific ride.
She too runs in The Everest, filling the slot of the Syndicate headed by Max Whitby, and giving the Fung family two hopes of victory in Australia's richest race.
"Mrs Fung has raced her and has been incredibly lucky with her," McGrath said. "She's been a dream all the way through and she will be tough to beat.
"You can see her getting that run, third or fourth off what should be a good pace with Redzel and Nature Strip. I can just see her getting that good sit off the pace. Hopefully Pierata is coming home over the top of them late and we can pick up the quinella."
