Gai Waterhouse's Pierro weight woe ahead of Doncaster Mile

FOR the first time this autumn carnival, trainer Gai Waterhouse wasn't boldly declaring one of her horses ahead of a big Group 1 race.

FOR the first time this autumn carnival, trainer Gai Waterhouse wasn't boldly declaring one of her horses ahead of a big Group 1 race.

Waterhouse will start Pierro in Saturday's Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick, but racing's first lady wondered if the 57kg would pose too much of an impost.

"Weight can stop trains, but will it stop Pierro?" Waterhouse asked.

"It's a big weight, and I can't think of a horse in recent history who has been lumbered with such a big weight. I didn't look at his weight because I always knew I was running him in this race, but I looked at the weights today and thought, 'That's a lot of pudding.'"

Waterhouse was disappointed the weights had been compressed, with only 5kg separating topweight Shoot Out and a host of bottom weights.

She said the handicappers should not be afraid to lump horses in Group 1 races with more than 60kg.

Waterhouse pointed out her More Joyous carried 57.5kg last year to win the Doncaster, but was entitled to carry "62kg or 63kg".

"There should be a full scale like they have in the UK ... where the lesser horses get a chance and the good horses are weighted up to their best," Waterhouse said.

"But they (the handicappers) won't give horses big weights like (62kg or 63kg) because trainers blow up. But they shouldn't. It makes racing more interesting. It just means the good horses don't race in handicaps and race at weight-for-age like they do in Europe."

Pierro, who swept all before him last autumn, has returned this campaign to beat the older horses in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m), then the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m).

He has been listed $2 favourite with the TAB, which stands to lose more than $1 million should he win his sixth career Group 1.