Pippie confirmed her place as one of Australia’s fastest horses, and kept her unbeaten first-up record intact, with an all the way win in the G1 Moir S. at The Valley on Friday night.
The John and Chris Meagher-trained 5-year-old mare won the G1 Oakleigh Plate first-up in the autumn in identical fashion to her performance in the Moir, using her prolific gate speed to land in front and from there it was just a sit and steer job for Damian Lane.
Bella Vella (Commands) loomed up around the bend but Pippie went to another gear and kicked away to win by 0.75l.
Trekking (Street Cry {Ire}) was huge late in the piece as he stormed home to finish second, while Bella Vella held on to finish 0.2l away in third with Brooklyn Hustle (Starspangledbanner) running on well to score fourth.
Chris Meagher was thrilled to secure a second Group 1 win with Pippie and said she could next target the G1 Manikato S. back under the lights at The Valley on October 23 or the G1 VRC Spring Classic at Flemington on November 7.
"Tonight she was just on point, she did everything right and we couldn't have been happier," Meagher said.
"She's a deadset 10-year-old gelding at home but as soon as she bounces out of the machines, she's a completely different animal.
"We came here as confident as you can be going into a Group 1 race so to pull it off is absolutely amazing.”
Pippie was purchased by Chris Meagher for $60,000 at the 2017 Inglis Classic Sale from the Eureka Stud draft and has well and truly surpassed her purchase price as her Moir win brought her career earnings to $1,201,950.
“She’s pretty cheap now isn’t she,” Meagher said.
Pippie as a yearling
Lane, who is no stranger to riding fast horses, said Pippie was the fastest out of the barriers that he has ever sat on.
"I've never been on one quicker early, just how clean she is from the stalls and how easily she does it," Lane said.
"You just give her some rein out of the barriers and then lay on her neck and she does the rest for you.
"You just give her some rein out of the barriers and then lay on her neck and she does the rest for you." - Damian Lane
"I actually thought I was in a little bit of trouble on the corner when she came off the bridle but when I asked her for her maximum effort she really dug in again."
Bred by Eureka Cambooya Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd, Pippie is out of Coupe Express (Ne Coupez Pas {USA}), who herself won six races. She has a 2-year-old Defcon filly and last foaled a colt by Spirit Of Boom.
Coupe Express is a half-sister to Timely Truce (Brief Truce {USA}), who placed in the Listed Merson Cooper S., Talindert S. and the colts and geldings’ division of the Blue Diamond Preview.
Her second dam Zofagal (Zoffany {Ire}) is a half-sister to Merry Ruler (The Carpenter {USA}), who won the G2 Hobartville S., and G2 Phar Lap S., placed in another seven stakes-races and finished fourth in the G1 Epsom H.
Her fourth dam is also the fourth dam of Prince Marauding (Marauding {NZ}), who won at Listed level and finished second in the Oakleigh Plate.
