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Trainer Ciaron Maher said the 2025 The Metropolitan was a tempting target for his progressive stayer Piggyback following the mare’s gritty performance to edge out her better fancied stablemate Juja Kibo in the Group 3 $250,000 Colin Stephen Quality (2400m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Maher prepared the quinella in this year’s Colin Stephen Quality 2025 results with just a half-length separating the stable’s winning Trapeze Artist mare Piggyback ($6) and the beaten favourite Juja Kibo ($2.10F) with Taramansour for Phillip Stokes running third in the mile and a half Golden Rose Day event.

“It was going to be one of them,” Maher told Sky Thoroughbred Central post-race.

“I thought ‘Juja’ had a pretty good run but ‘Piggy’ just out-toughed him.”

The favourite Juja Kibo moved up to take the lead 250m out from the line, but jockey Tim Clark timed his run on the eventual Colin Stephen Quality winner well with Piggyback coming hard on the inside to wear down the top elect in a terrific effort.

She made it back-to-back victories when up in grade off a lead-up victory at Doomben over 2200m on September 6 and could now be Group 1 bound on the quick back-up.

“Before the race I thought it was the best she had presented ever, really,” Maher said.

“The times from her last run were very quick so she’s a horse on the up.”

The $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m) runs next weekend at Randwick on Epsom Handicap Day and Piggyback is in on just 50kg – exempt from both ballot and penalty after her lead-up victory – should Maher opt to run the classy chestnut, who carried 55.5kg to victory in the Colin Stephen, on successive Saturdays.

“It is pretty tempting with 50kg,” Maher admitted.

“We will see how she is, but she has had the preparation to back up.

“She has had a really good grounding and a gap between runs so if we did want to back up it would work, I think.”

No horse has been able to complete the Colin Stephen Quality – The Metropolitan double in the same season since Railings (2005).

The price on Piggyback to be the first to do it in two decades is in from $201 to $21 in futures The Metropolitan betting at Ladbrokes.

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