Grand Piero delivered a determined performance to win the 141st edition of the Listed Bagot Handicap at Flemington, surging to victory under jockey Zac Spain.
The five-year-old gelding, trained by Jason Warren, overcame a strong field and tricky conditions over the 2800m journey to claim the prestigious staying race, earning the $105,000 first prize.
Settling midfield early, Spain rode Gran Piero patiently, sticking to the pre-race plan of saving the gelding’s energy for a decisive late surge. As the race unfolded, Grand Piero tracked up behind the leaders and unleashed his turn of foot in the final 300m.
Despite a late challenge from Interpretation, Gran Piero held firm, winning by three-quarters of a length in a time of 2:55.60, paying $9 at Blondebet. Momona finished third, a further 2.5 lengths behind.
2025 Bagot Handicap Replay – Grand Piero
Spain was thrilled with the victory, attributing the win to a perfectly executed strategy.
“The plan was to go back from the wide draw, find the rail, and ride him for luck,” Spain said post-race.
“He’s a stayer with a bit of zip, and when the runs appeared, he quickened nicely. He’s got a great temperament for staying races, and today he showed he’s got the class to win big.”
Trainer Jason Warren expressed his pride in Grand Piero’s consistent performances this preparation, which included a narrow second in the Pakenham Cup.
“We’ve been building towards this,” Warren said.
“He’s been full of merit in his last three runs, and today everything clicked. Zac rode him perfectly, and the horse responded brilliantly.”
Grand Piero’s win further cements his credentials as a promising stayer, adding a prestigious staying race to his résumé. Warren hinted at future plans, including a potential tilt at the Adelaide Cup later in the season.
“This race is a great stepping stone, and we’ll look at freshening him up before heading to Adelaide. He’s shown he can handle the trip and has plenty of improvement left.”
Runner-up Interpretation ran an impressive race after a lengthy layoff, while Momona’s strong finish highlighted her staying potential.
Early race favourite Goldman faded late after leading for much of the journey, eventually finishing fifth.
Grand Piero’s victory was a triumph for Grand Syndicates, who celebrated their gelding’s transformation from a consistent place-getter into a stakes-winning stayer.
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