Racing
Piggyback wins Group 3 Parramatta Cup: Post Race Trainer and Jockey Quotes
Trainer and jockey quotes after Piggyback claims the Group 3 Parramatta Cup at Rosehill on Saturday.
Race Result:1st: Piggyback (C Maher/D Gibbons) - $3.10F2nd: Bois D'Argent (A&R Archibald/S Clipperton) - $61
3rd: Travolta (C Waller/J McDonald) - $4.20
Winning Time: 1:55.92 Last 600m: 35.25
Margins: Short Neck x ½L
Piggyback carries them all the way to take out the G3 Parramatta Cup!@djgibbons22 @cmaherracing @Dynamic_WONIT pic.twitter.com/gYvbF5uUQt
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 21, 2026
Winning Trainer: Ciaron Maher (Stable rep Johann Gerard-Dubord speaking)
On the win: "First-up the sectionals she ran told you she was in great order. She trialled very well. That was probably the best she has ever trialled before heading to the races and if she could repeat that first-up run, over 1900 she was always going to be very hard to beat."
On the ride: "Dylan rode her very well. We just wanted to make sure she travelled to save that finish and he never lost any momentum, got off the fence at the right time and she was the strongest late."
"There is more to come. She did really well last prep, especially towards the end of it. She went to Brisbane and the trip away, mentally she had to take it up that next level and on the back of that she won the Colin Stephen. She is still on the way up."
Future in the prep - Tancred?: "She does like Rosehill. It's a bit different, weight-for-age compared to a race like today where she had no weight, but it's definitely a race we have to consider. It's not always the strongest, but races like a Sydney Cup, two-miles is a bit different but they're races you need to consider."
"She's a Group winner, she's won a stakes race today so if she can do something in a Group One, she is going to be even more valuable. She will keep improving."
Winning Jockey: Dylan Gibbons
On the run: "When I had a chat to the team I thought it was pretty simple, just put her in the box seat and ride her like a good thing. The team knows their horse back-to-front, they said to me "you've got to trust her" and that you're better off a pair further back than a pair too close.
"When I was four back the fence I thought "she's going to need the right backs to follow", but I had Zac (Lloyd, Sam Hawkens) and James (McDonald, Travolta) in front of me, so I was always going to get where I needed to.
"I was glad when I got out it was 1900m and not 1850m, because I needed every bit of it."
On the horse: "Ciaron just seems to do a marvellous job of these horses, he gets them peaking at five or six years old. Like they said to me pre-race, they're only just learning about her now, they learnt that her best asset is to be off the speed and give her that chance to finish off.
"They've worked out the keys to her and she's run enormous."
Beaten Jockeys:
Adam Hyeronimus (Just Fine): "Think he has come back well. Will be better leading."
Nash Rawiller (Zarir): "Probably felt the ground a little bit."
Sam Clipperton (Bois D'argent): "Put in a good first up performance. Enjoyed a nice run. Ran really well."
Jason Collett (Changingoftheguard): "Good run. Settled on speed. Short of his best but a good return."
Chad Schofield (Unspoken): "Travelled well in a midfield position. Felt the finish."
James McDonald (Travolta): "He is going really well."
Tommy Berry (Athabascan): "He is in for a good prep."
Tim Clark (Campaldino): "He ran really well first up. In for a good prep."
Regan Bayliss (Hoo Ya Mal): "Really nice run."
Tyler Schiller (Star Of India): "I thought he was a really good run. Will only improve up in trip."
Adam Farragher (Sibaaq): "Ran a super race. Tough old boy who wears his heart on his sleeve."
Tom Sherry (Touristic): "Really good. Good late and will be better next time."
Zac Lloyd (Sam Hawkens): "Ticking over nicely. Good to have him back at the races. Will be better over further."
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