Cover image courtesy of Western Racepix
Respected bloodstock agent Pilkington and Seymour Bloodstock principal Darren Thomas headed a syndicate of owners who paid a significant price for Neufbosc, who had finished second in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and contested the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for his previous trainer Pia Brandt.
He didn't retain that European form when under the eye of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig at Lindsay Park, failing to win in 12 starts, with a best performance of third in the Listed Sandown Cup.
Pilkington, who forged his reputation in Western Australia before establishing himself in Melbourne, helped hatch a plan to send Neufbosc over the Nullarbor to re-invigorate him, with the $400,000 2021 Perth Cup as the ultimate goal.
"He was very unlucky in Melbourne. He was a bit maligned as a non-winner, but he also struck a lot of wet tracks and had wide gates and generally no luck," Pilkington told TDN AusNZ.
"We sent him to Perth chasing the sun and the firm tracks and looking for that slight drop in class. It is nice that it has all came to fruition."
"We sent him to Perth chasing the sun and the firm tracks and looking for that slight drop in class. It is nice that it has all came to fruition." - Mark Pilkington
Neufbosc arrived with respected WA trainer Neville Parnham about four months ago and has won three races, two at Listed level and now one at Group 2 level, in his seven starts.
"He really thrived from day one in Perth with the sun on his back and the dry tracks. He trialled really well over 1000 metres and showed a good turn of foot. That was a strong sign that things were on track and we always thought he'd have a good campaign," Pilkington said.
"After he had backed him up early in the prep and he won the Carbine Club, we changed the plan slightly, because he backed up so well. From there we worked out to go from the ATA S. (on Boxing Day) and into the Cup.
"While we were hopeful, when you are taking on a really high-class horse like Truly Great, who looked to be well in at the weights for a weight-for-age Group 1 winner, you never know. I suppose that's the great thing about handicaps isn’t it? The handicapper got it right and we got up."
An epic Cup finish
Neufbosc and Truly Great (Dundeel {NZ}) provided one of the most memorable Perth Cup finishes in many years, with the Grant and Alana Williams-trained G1 Kingston Town Classic winner surging around the field to hit the front at the top of the straight.
For most of the straight, it looked a 10th Perth Cup win for owner Bob Peters, but in the final 100 metres, Neufbosc, who had come with a similarly timed run, responded to the urgings of Chris Parnham. He put his nose down to defeat the favourite by 0.17l, with over 4l back to another of Peters' contenders, Midnight Blue (So You Think {NZ}), in third.
"It was exciting. He hit the line good. It looked like he was going to run a very honourable second to a superstar. We would have been proud enough in defeat, but the last 50 was enjoyable," Pilkington said.
"It looked like he was going to run a very honourable second to a superstar. We would have been proud enough in defeat, but the last 50 was enjoyable." - Mark Pilkington
It wasn't quite the Cup success Thomas, Pilkington and the other owners had envisioned when they purchased him out of France, but it was one worth celebrating.
"We paid a lot of money for him and he had as good a form as there was in Europe. We were hoping he'd go right to the top. We had Cups in mind, but it was probably Melbourne, Caulfield and Perth in that order," he said.
Watching on from isolation
Pilkington had intended to be trackside at Ascot, but instead watched on from home quarantine after a change in border policy from the WA government forced Victorians in the state to either depart back east, or self quarantine.
"It was a bit strange. I had come over to see my extended family for Christmas and with the COVID-19 situation, things changed. My family went back to Melbourne and I had to go into isolation," he said.
"I watched it in isolation in the room next door to Mum, looking through the glass and cheering him on. Then the phone went berserk."
Pilkington said the victory meant a lot to many people involved in the horse, regardless of where they were.
"It's just terrific for the ownership group in the horse. It’s a really eclectic group, with some of the syndicates having high profile people involved in him. There were people all over Australia really excited for the win. It’s great for racing when you can have that," he said.
David Hayes, Mark Pilkington and JD Hayes
Bred by Franklin Finance, Neufbosc is a half-brother to stakes-placed Nullemont (Ire) (Rajsaman {Fr}) from the stakes-placed mare Nonsuch Way (Ire) (Verglas {Ire}).
Pilkington said that it was likely Neufbosc will remain under Parnham's care but hasn't ruled out the horse coming back to Melbourne or Sydney should he get the right conditions.
"I'm pretty sure that Truly Great formline stands him in good stead. He is hitting the line nicely. Neville has got a couple of other horses that will potentially campaign in Melbourne next season, so I think he deserves his chance to have a crack at some nice races over there," he said.
"If the tracks are good we can fly him over as the races unfold but there is no specific plan as yet."
Double joy for Parnham
Parnham enjoyed a stakes double as a trainer, with the highly talented Indian Pacific (Zoustar) making it seven wins from 11 starts in the Listed Furphy Summer Scorcher earlier in the day.
Indian Pacific as a yearling
A $110,000 purchase by Parnham from the Bowness Stud draft at the 2018 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, the 4-year-old is out of Listed winner Rosarino (Perugino {USA}).
The G3 La Trice Classic was taken out by the War Chant (USA) mare Dance Music, who took her record for Simon Miller to 11 wins from 23 starts. Bred and raced by Botsky Pty Ltd and Hollymount Stud, she is the sole winner from Fast Flowing (NZ) (Dubawi {Ire}) and has now won four stakes races.