MELBOURNE Nov 15 AAP – Gai Waterhouse is hoping Pornichet can reach some of the heights of former stable star Fiorente after the import scored his first Australian win at Sandown.
Having his second Australian start in Saturday’s Group Three Sandown Stakes (1500m), French import Pornichet settled behind the speed before racing to a 1-1/4 length victory.
Waterhouse won a Melbourne Cup and Australian Cup with the imported Fiorente and can see similarities in lightly raced Pornichet.
“He’s giving me the same gut feeling that Fiorente gave me,” Waterhouse said.
A third placegetter in this year’s Group One French 2000 Guineas, Pornichet ran an encouraging fourth in his Australian debut at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup carnival behind subsequent Emirates Stakes winner Hucklebuck.
He was sent out the $2.15 favourite on Saturday and got the job done, defeating General Groove ($15) with three-quarters of a length to Spacecraft ($26) third.
“He’s top class. Simple as that,” Waterhouse said.
“He’s got a beautiful turn of foot.”
Waterhouse said the entire was still green and had to learn what Australian racing was about.
The four-year-old will be spelled with a view to the autumn, and the Australian Cup could be among the targets.
“I’ll give him a little break now for a few weeks and I think with that everything will fall into place,” Waterhouse said.
Jockey James McDonald said Pornichet was a lovely horse who would be at his best between 1600m and 2000m.
“He’s got a lot to learn, he’s still a big baby,” McDonald said.
“I think he’s a Group horse for sure.”
