A progressive home track four-year-old is primed to take the next step when he lines up at Mondayโs Newcastle meeting on the Beaumont track.
Piccaderro, a son of Group 1 star Pierro in the Jason Deamer stable, tackles a moderate Benchmark 58 Handicap for the boys over 1150m.
Former Group 1 winner Pierro.Credit: Jenny Evans
It comes three weeks after he swept home from near the back to land his maiden at Port Macquarie, his first outing since finishing down the track in a Midway Maiden at Wyong last winter.
And the form from that race looks strong, with second-placed Wan Lost, trained at Newcastle by Kris Lees, then missing narrowly in a deeper maiden at Gosford.
More to the point, it comes after connections scratched the gelding from a very winnable Class 1 Handicap (1280m) at Muswellbrook last Monday because of a heavy surface.
And a further boost to his chances is the booking of leading jockey Aaron Bullock for his first race ride.
Bullockโs only other time aboard Piccaderro was in a trial early last winter, not long after the horse had been transferred to Newcastle from the Ciaron Maher stable.
Piccaderro has since had four different jockeys in four runs.
He is the only runner for the Deamer stable on the Beaumont program, expected to be run on a firm surface.
