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By Ray Hickson

Just how good is Golden Eagle favourite Ascoli Piceno?

Joao Moreira . (Pic: Steve Hart)

It’s the burning question ahead of Saturday’s $10 million feature for four-year-olds at Rosehill Gardens and the Japanese visitor's jockey Joao Moreira knows her talent as well as anyone.

While he’s not ridden the mare, aside from at trackwork since arriving in Sydney, he does have a win over Ascoli Piceno from back in April.

They often say you don't know how good a horse is until they're beaten and Moreira has that insight having partnered Stellenbosch to a three-quarter length win over Ascoli Piceno in the 1000 Guineas at Hanshin.

“I did beat her in a Group 1 race over there and it took a really good horse to get her beaten,’’ Moreira said.

“I think I’m on the right horse. I’m extremely confident that she’s more than capable.

“You don’t need the real Group 1 winners there to come over here and win Group 1 races. The quality of Group 1s over there is so high.

“Obviously some factors are going to play a big role in it, sometimes you get a bad gate or you get stuck in a race.

"If everything goes all right she is a big winning chance.”

When asked if Ascoli Piceno, trained by Yoichi Kuroiwa, is a better horse than last year’s Golden Eagle winner Obamburumai it was a diplomatic response from Moreira but it was clear he feels she is.

“She’s a very good horse,’’ he said.

It’ll be Moreira’s first ride in the Golden Eagle, now in its sixth year.

Ascoli Piceno, $3.50 with TAB prior to the barrier draw, won her first three starts with her Group 1 win in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies coming at her third run where she beat Stellenbosch with another Golden Eagle runner Corazon Beat third.

After her 1000 Guineas second she was runner-up in the Group 1 NHK Mile Cup. Her last run before landing in Sydney was an impressive 1-1/4 length win in the Group 3 Keisei Hai Autumn Handicap (1600m) at Nakayama on September 8.

Moreira said his first impressions of the horse when legged aboard at Canterbury were quite positive and at the time felt there was still some upside. That was some 11 days before the race.

“She seems very healthy, I really can’t fault the way she’s going around,’’ he said.

“If she’s able to hold that condition, or improve it a little more which might be the case because she’s been travelling, that would be good.

“Spending time in quarantine gives room for improvement. I couldn’t be happier with the way she’s been going.”

One advantage she’ll bring from Japan is experience in large fields, and from a variety of barrier positions, while all her starts have been on good ground.

pic.twitter.com/CldiEDz4KB

— Team Iwata (@JayRAye02) September 8, 2024

Ascoli Piceno's last start win in Japan (Video: Team Iwata)

“The distance is just perfect for her, and the pace in Japan is a little more genuine than in Australia so she might find the pace of the race here more comfortable for her,’’ Moreira said.

“I don’t think we’ll be changing much. If she doesn’t have any interruptions through the race and if she hits the line as she’s been doing over there she’ll be right in the finish.”

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