Weight-for-age racing holds the key to Black Piranha delivering more Group One success during the twilight of a distinguished career.Effectively announcing the end of Black Piranha's days as one of Australia's best handicap sprinter-milers, trainer Con Karakatsanis said: "It's getting too hard for him at the top of the weights now."Black Piranha makes his new season return in the $175,000 Warwick Stakes at Warwick Farm on Saturday with Hugh Bowman in the saddle.It's the first race in a weight-fo

Weight-for-age racing holds the key to Black Piranha delivering more Group One success during the twilight of a distinguished career.

Effectively announcing the end of Black Piranha's days as one of Australia's best handicap sprinter-milers, trainer Con Karakatsanis said: "It's getting too hard for him at the top of the weights now."

Black Piranha makes his new season return in the $175,000 Warwick Stakes at Warwick Farm on Saturday with Hugh Bowman in the saddle.

It's the first race in a weight-for-age campaign Karakatsanis hopes will lead to another Group One payday in the George Main Stakes.

Black Piranha's two Group One victories have come in successive Stradbroke Handicaps.

He carried 55kg to win the famous Queensland sprint in 2009 and then he had 0.5kg more in his 2010 victory.

But Black Piranha carried 57kg when midfield in this year's edition and Karakatsanis concedes the handicapper might have finally caught up with the eight-year-old.

"There's always going to be a younger horse on the way up who is probably equal in ability with him and he has to give them too much weight," Karakatsanis said.

"But you can't complain. Black Piranha was in the same position as he came through, getting weight off other horses."

A weight-for-age victory has been elusive for Black Piranha in his 57 starts but there have been close calls in the Doomben 10,000, the George Ryder Stakes and George Main Stakes.

Black Piranha was rated an unlucky runner when second to Road To Rock in the 2009 George Main and the Group One mile is a spring target for the veteran.

"He goes into the spring pretty fresh ... he's only had four starts this year," Karakatsanis said.

Bowman was on top when Black Piranha finished third in a Rosehill barrier trial on Monday.

The Warwick Stakes, a traditional Sydney launch race for Cups hopefuls, attracted 20 nominations.

Lloyd Williams's trainer Robert Hickmott entered four horses, including last year's Epsom Derby runner-up At First Sight and fellow European import Green Moon.

At First Sight and Green Moon have also been entered for interstate races along with Base.

Well performed stablemate Linton has the Warwick Stakes as his only possible weekend engagement.

Maluckyday, who also trialled at Rosehill, has been entered but the Hawkes stable is waiting before making a decision on a start for the 2010 Melbourne Cup runner-up.

Tye Angland, once the regular rider for Black Piranha, has been booked to partner this year's Queensland Derby winner Shootoff.

Angland's manager Bryan Haskins said Saturday's meeting would be the jockey's last in Sydney before he returns to Hong Kong to prepare for the new racing season.