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Pierata’s trainer Greg Hickman has the utmost confidence in his decision to focus on Saturday’s $1 million Epsom Handicap with his crack four-year-old after putting Everest aspirations on the shelf.

Pierata was in the mix to land a place in the $13 million Everest (1200m) after a classy first-up win in the G2 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick last month.

However interest in the sprinter from Everest slot holders waned after a setback forced him to miss a key start in the G3 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on September 1.

After recovering from swelling in a foreleg Pierata contested the G3 Bill Ritchie (1300m) at Randwick on September 15 where he was caught on the line by Seige Of Quebec, an effort that convinced Hickman he should continue on the path to the Epsom.

Hickman reasoned that Pierata would take great benefit from his Bill Ritchie second after the interruption to his program and also had the form on the board over the Epsom course, having finished second to Kementari in the G1 Randwick Guineas at his first 1600m attempt in March.

Pierata tackled the Guineas after his heroics through the summer in Queensland where he won three of his four starts including the Magic Millions Guineas over 1400m at the Gold Coast.

He was at the end of his preparation when he took on the Guineas and Hickman says he will go into the Epsom as a horse on the up after only two runs since resuming.

“He has always been looking for a bit of ground and he is a stronger, more mature horse now compared to what he did in the autumn,” Hickman said.

“I am sure he could have been competitive in The Everest but the conditions didn’t suit so we went for the Epsom.”

Pierata’s close second in the Bill Ritchie was an excellent effort as he endured a tough run before he put in a sharp sprint at the 200m that had him hailed as the winner, only to be run down on the line by Epsom rival Seige Of Quebec.

Hickman said Pierata had improved as expected since the Bill Ritchie.

“He had six weeks between runs. He's stepped up again from that,” Hickman said.

“We're pretty happy with what we've done with him this week."

Hickman said the Epsom would define the rest of the spring and possibly far beyond with the son of Pierro in the sights of several studs.

“We are looking at the Cantala Stakes over 1600 metres at Flemington after the Epsom but we won’t be looking at longer races as we want to protect him as a stallion prospect,” Hickman said.

“As soon as you get past a mile, they don’t want to know too much about them so he will be kept to a mile.”