Bay upsets hotpots in Pinjarra Classic
Watermans Bay upstaged his more fancied rivals to clinch victory in yesterday's $100,000 Chaff City Pinjarra Classic (1300m).
Most expected the Listed sprint to be a battle between $2.40 favourite Amorino and Hussy By Choice ($5), with Luke's Luck ($9) the only other runner under double figures.
But Hussy By Choice bombed the start, rearing as the gates opened, to ruin any chance of adding a second black-type win to her record following last month's Miss Andretti Stakes success.
Amorino was given a perfect ride by William Pike, but laboured in his pursuit of leader and eventual third placegetter Red Hot Sax in the straight and was unable to hold off a withering finish from Watermans Bay ($12).
The Peter and Matt Giadresco-trained gelding won by a head to boost his career earnings to more than $515,000.
Watermans Bay was sent out at a generous price given he ran third to Buffering and Moment Of Change in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) on Super Saturday and was second to Amorino last start in the Cyril Flower Stakes.
"Some of those races he contested he was carrying more weight," Peter Giadresco said of Watermans Bay, who carried 57kg yesterday.
"He was given a bit of weight relief today and he was able to bounce back to his best.
"He ran a top race when he ran third to Buffering in the Winterbottom Stakes last November and though he has been up for a while, I knew I still had the horse."
It was Giadresco's first win in the Pinjarra feature and he will now aim the son of Eternity Range at Sunday week's $100,000 APH Contractors Bunbury Stakes (1400m).
Experienced jockey Troy Turner, who also steered Watermans Bay to victory in last year's Cyril Flower and Mungrup Stud Sprint, praised the five-year-old's courage.
"He is a pretty handy horse when you look at the feature races he has been in," Turner said.
"He just kept giving all the way down the straight. It was a strong win."
Owners John and Sharon Molloy were delighted with the victory after Watermans Bay's dam, Parisian Princess, died giving birth to a Dick Turpin foal last year.
