It took a perfect steer from William Pike, but the Grant & Alana Williams-trained Storyville has powered away with the William Pike steered Storyville to victory in the Group 3 WA Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) at Ascot Racecourse..
Having settled at the rear of the field one off the fence, Pike was riding for luck in the home straight as leaders Diamond Dancer ($6.00) and Ron’s Finalflutter ($3.90) went for home with 300m to go.
Despite being a $7 quote with Dabble, Pike managed to get the Overshare filly to produce a stunning turn of foot, and although Ron’s Finalflutter looked like he had the races shot to piece with 200m to go, Pike and Storyville went past the eventual runner-up with 100m to go to win by 1.78-lengths and stake an 11th hour claim towards next week’s Group 2 WA Guineas (1600m)
2024 Group 3 WA Champion Fillies Stakes Replay – Storyville
The win handed the training partnership of Grant & Alana Williams their seventh triumph in the Fillies feature, and Grant Williams was extremely complimentary of Pike’s ride.
“Geez, it’s good when he is in this sort of form, isn’t it?” Williams said about one of the WA’s greatest ever hoops.
“We’ve had a really good wrap on this horse from day dot, she does go really good.
“We were probably riding her a bit too confident for her first few runs, but he knows her really well.
“They’re only three once, she’s in really good nick and she if she pulls up well, we probably have to have a go at the Guineas.”
Much like the Williams stable, Pike has had his fair share of success in the race, with Storyville handing him a sixth win in the event.
Having been quoted as a $21 chance with horse racing bookmakers for next Saturday’s WA Guineas, Storyville is now a $6.00 second-elect in WA Guineas markets.
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