13/03/2025

TALENTED Domeland filly Piperita delivered on her early promise with a commanding first-up victory at Wyong on Wednesday.

Heavily supported in the final minutes of betting to run a dominant $1.70 favourite, Piperita settled just behind the early speed before swinging wide on the turn to round up the leaders and score in decisive fashion.

A daughter of Yulong Stud stallion Pierata, Piperita gave a hint of her potential when chasing home stakes class performers at her first two runs last year.

The three-year-old finished an encouraging fourth on debut behind subsequent Group 2-placed filly Lilac, before being sent to the paddock in September following her 2.5L seventh to El Castello, who was on his way to winning the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes later in his campaign.

Domeland’s Wyong-based Head Trainer Sara Ryan was delighted to see Piperita make a successful return on her home course, but sounded an ominous warning by noting she expected the filly to improve significantly with the run.

“She is a lovely horse, I’ve always had a big opinion of her,” Ryan said.

“She’s just been learning her craft a little bit and I thought she’d actually need this run, especially when the track went to a Heavy 8.”

A $140,000 purchase from the Cressfield Stud draft at the 2023 Sydney Easter Sale, Piperita was ridden perfectly by apprentice Anna Roper, who received high praise from Ryan.

“Anna gave her a lovely ride and couldn’t have ridden her better,” she said.

When Roper took control of the race on Piperita at the top of the straight, the daughter of Redoute’s Choice mare Pepperberry looked set for a comfortable win but had to kick strongly late to deny the second favourite Empusa by three-quarters of a length. Exothrill was a further two lengths away in third.

Despite breaking her maiden in good style at just her third career start, Ryan highlighted Piperita’s inexperience post-race and forecast her filly still had a lot to learn.

“She doesn’t really know what she’s doing yet,” Ryan said.

“I’m sure she got a little bit lost out the front there but the home track always helps. She knows where the finish line is.”

Roper agreed Piperita had a promising future, especially as she builds on her bank of raceday experience.

“She’s got a really good attitude,” Roper said.

“She settled really nicely early but when she hit the front she certainly had a think about it and wasn’t quite sure what she was doing.

“But she’ll put it all together and she’ll be a nice horse in time.”

Adding merit to the victory, Roper conceded Piperita wasn’t entirely at home in the wet conditions.

“I don’t think she absolutely loved the (Heavy) ground but she got through it fine, and she did a really good job,” Roper said.