Barrier Work The Key to Picaro's Chances

Trainer Gary Portelli believes sending Picaro (Pierro-Sookie, by Casino Prince) back to barrier school will be the difference in today's ATC Heineken Handicap over 1800m at Kensington today, reports racingnsw.com.au. "We have done a bit of barrier education on this horse and we'd expect to be a little bit closer than usual," Portelli said. "He wouldn't come out of the gates, he wouldn't begin. It was like he had something wrong with him. We tried a lot of things to loosen him up. We had him at the gates one day with one of my better riders and sooled him out hard, roared at him and chased him, and next start he jumped beautifully. We won't be contesting the lead but we won't be spotting them ten (lengths)." Picaro has won six of his 37 starts, but hasn't won since July 2020 and today's race is under similar conditions to that win. "He loves (Kensington), we aimed at this race so we're looking forward to seeing how he goes. We'd like to see him get a win midweek then we'd go to 2000m next start and that'd be his go. On the right day he can match it with some handy horses on a Saturday without going over the top." The 5YO gelding is the first foal of Gr3 winner Sookie (Casino Prince-Purple Blood, by Encosta de Lago), who is also the dam of Group 1 winner Shadow Hero (Pierro). Picaro was a NZ$100,000 yearling offered by Hallmark Stud at the New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sales and now has earnings over A$239,000.

Picaro's full-brother Shadow Hero (pic: Steve Hart)