Tony Pike’s powers of persuasion have come up short against the money on offer in Hong Kong.
The Cambridge trainer was keen to hold on to impressive debut winner Quantum Legend through his three-year-old campaign but has been unable to convince Hong Kong owner Kenneth Lau to leave him in New Zealand.
“Unfortunately, it looks like he is going to take him up there. The PP bonuses (for previously raced horses) are so attractive for the owners if they win in Class 3,” Pike said.
“We made a good case and the owner thought about it long and hard but, no, he’s heading up there.
“It’s a real shame and if he was a colt, it may have been a different story, but with the amount of prizemoney up there it’s pretty hard to try and convince him otherwise, so we’ll move on.”
Quantum Legend was offered by Kilgravin Lodge at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale where the son of Castelvecchio was knocked down to Waikato Bloodstock, on behalf of Lau, for $400,000.
From the family of multiple Group One winner and champion sire Redoute’s Choice, he had impressed at the trials before winning as a short-priced favourite at Te Rapa last month.
That performance earned him a $10 equal second favourite quote for the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and Pike is now hoping a stablemate can press his southern claims on Saturday.
The highly regarded Snitzel colt Storm Front is currently a $31 chance and will open his campaign in the Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) at Ellerslie.
“He trialled really well at Te Awamutu, he’s one of a number of nice three-year-olds who will probably run in the next couple of weeks and then we’ll know where they’re heading,” Pike said.
Storm Front was a smart debut winner before he suffered cardiac arrhythmia when unplaced in the Listed Star Way Stakes (1200m) and was spelled.
Meanwhile, multiple stakes winner Val Di Zoldo will bypass the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m).
“She will go to the open mile at Te Rapa, I just didn’t want to run her first-up on a good surface over 1400m against weight-for-age horses, they’ll be too sharp for her,” Pike said.
“She’ll run on September 14 and then go to the mile (Gr.1 Howden Insurance) and the 2040m race (Gr.1 Livamol Classic).
“The Livamol is probably her best chance, but if they happened to get a Soft 8 or 9 for the second day at Te Rapa, where she has always run well, then it would be suitable for her as well.”
