Tony Pike’s team of horses were airborne on the good track at Hastings last Saturday and the Cambridge horseman was pleased to return to Ellerslie with a similarly positive report following trials held at the venue on Tuesday.
The Ellerslie course underwent a major renovation installing a StrathAyr surface through the 2022/23 season, which upon return, successfully staged the TAB Karaka Millions, Auckland Cup and New Zealand Derby meetings through the summer period.
On April 10 and 20, the meetings at Ellerslie were partially abandoned as the result of safety concerns, and since then a maintenance plan was developed and the track has successfully held jump-outs on September 2, alongside jump-outs and 22 trial heats on Tuesday.
“We’ve got through the day well, the jockeys have been happy with the track and there’s definitely more indentation in the track then there probably was previously,” Pike said.
“Obviously getting later in the afternoon now, it is starting to firm up a touch, but I think everyone has been pleased with the surface.”
Pike collected his first stakes success of the season with Poetic Champion in the Listed El Roca – Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) with Matt Cartwright on board, who was also able to provide a fresh perspective on Ellerslie after moving from Victoria, where the StrathAyr is utilised at the likes of Moonee Valley.
“One of the comments from Matt Cartwright, who has ridden on StrathAyr tracks a number of times in Melbourne, was that a bit more grass cover would be ideal, and talking to Paul (Wilcox, Auckland Thoroughbred Racing chief executive), they have fertilised the track and will be getting more grass cover ahead of the upcoming race meetings,” Pike said.
“I think it’s been positive all round and we’re looking forward to getting back to headquarters on race day.”
Pike’s impressive colt Storm Front (NZ) (Snitzel) produced an eye-catching performance in the second of three juvenile trials, running out a two-length winner in the hands of Ryan Elliot.
“He’s a lovely colt that we have a high opinion of and he couldn’t have trialled any more impressively,” Pike said.
“He went to the front on the bridle, and as most two-year-olds do the first time around Ellerslie, he had a good look at everything coming down the straight and possibly raced a bit greenly over the final stages.
“Having a trial around Ellerslie is really going to benefit him going forward, hopefully he will be back here for some of the better two-year-old races through the season.”
A son of Snitzel, Storm Front was a $400,000 yearling purchase at Karaka in January, with his dam, Indecision, a three-time stakes winner in Pike’s care.
“Although his price was expensive, for a well-bred Snitzel colt and the type he was, it was probably reasonable buying at the time so hopefully he can live up to expectations,” Pike said.
“He was just a stunning individual out of a very good mare that I trained, and I’ve had a lot of success buying from Trelawney Stud as well.”
Looking ahead to the weekend’s meetings, Pike will be represented in both islands with Raziah (NZ) (Niagara) nominated for Saturday’s Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton Park.
The Niagara filly finished second to Belardi in the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) in June and will carry the silks of her breeders The Oaks Stud.
“She’s stakes-placed and more black-type would be ideal, we just thought she might not be quite up to the best of the three-year-old fillies in the north at this point in time, so it was a good option to head down for the fillies series,” Pike said.
“She trialled up really nicely last week and it would be great for The Oaks if she can be competitive at black-type level again this weekend.
“We try and do most of their work at home so they are nice and forward in condition, once she gets down there she’ll be racing on Saturday then it’ll just be a matter of ticking her over towards the next race.”
Pike had come close to autumn stakes success in the South Island with Ziggy Stardust (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) finishing runner-up in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) in May, with that filly potentially kicking-off a new preparation in the Taranaki Pine Maiden Dash (990m) at New Plymouth.
“She probably didn’t spell quite as well as we had hoped through the winter, so instead of sending her all the way down with a long float trip, we thought we would keep her up north for a maiden race,” Pike said.
“She’s 50/50 to run if track conditions don’t improve, if they don’t, she’ll probably head to Taupo next Friday.”
Closer to home at Te Rapa, Group Two winner Val Di Zoldo (NZ) (War Decree) will make her return in the Waikato Construction 1400 on Sunday. While not picking up a race in her four-year-old season, the War Decree mare was a model of consistency, finishing in the first four in three successive stakes assignments.
“She trialled up really well on the Cambridge Synthetic last Friday, 1400m is well short of her best but she was unlucky not to win the Travis Stakes (Gr.2, 2000m) last season,” Pike said.
“This is a nice starting point for her on Saturday, as long as she’s finding the line nicely in the closing stages, that’ll set her up nicely going forward into the rest of the spring.”
