A nose was the difference between a $30,000 prize and a mid-week placing for Tony Pike at Avondale on Wednesday, and he hopes to continue being on the right side of the result across several venues this weekend.
The Cambridge horseman eyed the NZB Mega Maiden Series bonus for his filly Princess Elsa (NZ) (Frosted), who was resuming as a three-year-old following a string of juvenile placings. She didn’t get all favours in the running but was tough late to get the head bob from Kairos.
“She had good two-year-old form without winning, but she’s come up a lot stronger this preparation,” Pike said. “We were a little bit concerned with the heavy track conditions, but she toughed it out pretty well, being caught out three-wide and was strong over the final stages.
“She just managed to get the win and there was a good gap back to third, so it’s great to have that under her belt. Hopefully we can get another win on the board for the team in the coming weeks.”
Purchased for $21,000 by Jim Bruford at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Yearling Sales, the daughter of Frosted earned connections an additional $20,000 for the win, as well as $5,000 for Pike.
“We targeted this race for the maiden bonus and winning by that narrow margin there was a massive difference in prizemoney, $30-odd thousand versus $2,000,” Pike said.
“It was a great result.”
Pike will have a number of key chances heading to Rotorua on Sunday, including multiple Group winner Val Di Zoldo dropping back in class to contest the Staphanos Classic (1950m).
The middle-distance specialist found her rivals a touch sharp last start in the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m), but up in distance with Sam McNab’s three-kilogram claim, Pike hopes to see an improved effort.
“She’s a quality mare, she’s had the two runs under her belt and dropping back from weight-for-age Group One company to handicap conditions, you’d expect her to run a much-improved race,” he said.
He is looking forward to the awaited return of Cream Tart, a daughter of Hello Youmzain, who burst into the juvenile scene with a 7-¾ length romp at Te Aroha in June.
She was subsequently sent for a spell and has had two conditioning trials, with the goal of making the Riccarton three-year-old Guineas races now in the crosshairs.
“We’ve been held up a little bit with our spring three-year-olds with the heavy tracks, but she is going to resume nice and forward after a barrier trial at Te Rapa on pretty testing ground,” Pike said.
“She worked extremely well on Tuesday, she’s a quality three-year-old filly and hopefully on a Guineas path, but Sunday will tell us a lot more.
“If she can bring her two-year-old form, she’ll be pretty hard to beat.”
Cream Tart will line-up in the Lance Lawson 1215 alongside stablemate Pink Gin, who performed well in Rating 72 company on Cambridge’s synthetic track last start.
“She was a bit unlucky on the polytrack last start, she probably hasn’t got the same level of ability as Cream Tart but she’s a very genuine and honest filly,” Pike said.
“She’s got a tricky gate to contend with (9), but if she can get across without doing too much work she won’t be too far away.”
Consistent mare Honey Badger will be the stable’s only representative at Otaki on Saturday in the Harcourts Otaki Premier (1200m), having finished runner-up to Tolstoy in a similar event at the course a fortnight ago.
“She really likes those rain-affected tracks, it’s probably getting towards the end of her campaign heading into the summer, but it looks like it’ll be a very testing track on Saturday which will suit,” Pike said.
“It’s come up a pretty competitive race, there is a lot of form in there and she’s drawn wide, but if the outside of the track is the place to be, she can be right in the finish again.”
Ashoka and Churchillian will head down to Taupo on Friday, with the former striking a maiden race with a number of debutants, while he has three placings on the board from three starts.
“He’s been very consistent through his two-year-old form,” Pike said.
“We probably got a bit further back than we wanted at Trentham. He had an interrupted run but was strong late.
“He’s got a good draw tomorrow, we’ll look to be reasonably positive from that inside gate and he’s definitely due a winning turn.
“Everything that is running over the weekend, bar Ashoka and Honey Badger, will improve with the runs, but we’ve got a nice team in and it would be nice to pick up a couple of wins.”