Tony Pike will have a quartet of runners by necessity rather than design in Saturday’s two-year-old contest at Ellerslie.
The Cambridge trainer will be represented by trial winners Arthur, Ashoka, Boombox and Happy Youmzain in the Network Visuals Juvenile (1200m).
“It was never the intention to run four together, but they are all nice, progressive two-year-olds that I want to give a run to,” Pike said.
“They can then have a break with race day experience under their belts going into their three-year-old seasons.
“This is probably the last chance to get a reasonable surface so our hand will be forced to run all four.”
Pike leaned toward Hello Youmzain first-timer Ashoka and the resuming Boombox, by Spirit Of Boom, as the two best chances.
“The most forward are probably Ashoka and Boombox, they are more natural type two-year-olds,” Pike said.
“The other two are lovely horses as well, when they get up to a mile, and should be getting home strongly late.”
Boombox finished fifth on debut before a break and was a recent trial winner on the synthetic track at Cambridge while Ashoka was successful in his latest heat at Te Awamutu while Arthur was successful on the same day.
“Ashoka was bred by my parents (Wayne and Vicki) before she was on sold after a barrier trial and Happy Youmzain is owned by Hong Kong clients,” Pike said.
“All of the Hello Youmzains I’ve got are showing plenty of ability.”
One of those emphasised that on King’s Birthday Monday at Te Aroha where Cream Tart followed up her debut second with a victory romp by nearly eight lengths.
“We expected something like that, she’s pretty smart and at Matamata she missed the kick from the outside gate and got a bit lost,” Pike said.
“She showed an amazing turn of foot to get there almost too soon and got stuck in the worst of the track.
“She didn’t have the easiest of runs on Monday and I don’t know how good the others are, but she put a big space on them.
“She’s a promising filly and went straight out for a month in the paddock before she comes back for the fillies’ series and a path to the 1000 Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m), so we’ll see where she gets to.”
Cream Tart was bred by Windsor Park Stud and purchased out of their draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale by Pike for $220,000.
“We wanted to buy a well-bred filly that year and she’s a half-sister to (two-time Group One winner) Mustang Valley,” he said.
“We missed out on a fair few and she was late in the sale and the last of the fillies we liked.”
Pike has also enjoyed black-type success with another of Hello Youmzain’s daughters following Lucy In The Sky’s victory in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m).
It was her second win from three appearances and finished sixth in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) in between times.
“She’s a homebred for Cambridge Stud who gave to us to train, which was very nice,” Pike said.
The stable also liked the chances at Ellerslie of Awatere and Arundel Castle in the Thanks For Your Service Ross Coles (1600m), although confidence has taken a hit.
“We’ve copped some horror barrier draws and they’ve drawn 19 and 22 (respectively),” Pike said.
Delz Abeel has also been handed gate 20 in the Thank You ATR Partners Maiden (1200m).
Meanwhile, stablemate Thooza has drawn ideally in two for the Sistema 3YO (1400m) following her sound resuming run on the track for fourth. “She’s up to 1400m and I think she should be a strong chance in that race,” Pike said.