While missing a chance for valuable black-type three weeks prior, promising filly Dangerous Liaisons was able to finish her South Island mission on a high at Riccarton last Saturday.
The daughter of No Nay Never initially journeyed from Tony Pike’s Cambridge stable to contest the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m) on April 13, but a foot abscess on the morning of the fillies’ feature halted those plans.
She bounced back strongly at the following Saturday meeting to finish runner-up to another progressive type in Contemplation Bay, but wasn’t to be denied a fortnight later when stepping up over the mile, pulling away from Blood Diamond to score by a neck in the Rating 65 contest.
Pike was pleased the filly was able to gain a consolation prize in the south, after a light season with two victories and two second placings from five starts.
“It was a shame as we were hoping to go down there and get some black-type, but a foot abscess on the day stopped that,” he said.
“It was great to get a consolation prize, she won well and is still a pretty new and green filly, still lightly raced. She has a nice future going forward.
“She’ll probably go back up north now, and we’ll make a plan going forward into next season with her.”
Dangerous Liaisons carries the silks of breeder Simms Davison of Mapperley Stud, who has retained the ownership of the well-bred filly, who is a full-sister to Sigh, a Group 3 winner in Australia.
“She’s well-bred so I think Simms had a bit of interest in her with that pedigree, and she was also probably a bit immature to put through the sales as a yearling,” Pike said.
“She’s continued to develop really nicely now and should make a lovely four-year-old mare.
“I think he’s quite keen to get some black-type with her going forward, and keep her as a broodmare.”
Pike’s juvenile pair of Ziggy Stardust and Wind Rush gave a strong impression heading into their three-year-old season with second and third-placed performances in the respective two-year-old features at Riccarton and Te Rapa.
Ziggy Stardust, a daughter of Turn Me Loose, recorded the fastest closing sectionals of the Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes (1200m), coming from near-last to within a half-length of winner Discretion Rules.
“It was a super effort, she’s a progressive filly that has improved at every start,” Pike said.
“The barrier draw (9) forced us to go back a little bit more than we wanted too, and she was probably a bit new and green going down the straight at Riccarton but her last 200 was very good and she went close to getting up.
“It’s great to get black-type as a two-year-old, she’ll head to the paddock now and only improve as a three-year-old with a bit more maturity and over a further trip.”
With a range of options in the three-year-old filly calendar, Pike said the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) in November would be the ideal spring target, having had experience on the course as a youngster.
“She’s run well at Riccarton, so if we could get her down for the 1000 Guineas that would be ideal going forward, but there is a lot of water to go under the bridge before then,” he said.
“There are plenty of nice races for these fillies coming up in the spring, and we will look to get her maiden out of the way early before following that three-year-old fillies’ path.”
Closer to home in the Waikato, Pike was pleased with the efforts of Wind Rush in the Listed 2YO Stakes (1400m), who fought well in unsuitable track conditions finishing 1.75 lengths from impressive colt Super Photon.
“It was a really good effort for a horse that hated the track, he’s a lovely actioned horse and he was really dipping and diving especially from the 600 to straightening for home,” he said.
“He’s done well to pick himself up and finish strongly late. ‘Being by Almanzor, he’s only going to get better at three physically, and he looks a really promising horse for the stable heading into next season.”
The well-related gelding is a full-brother to talented galloper Adam I Am, being out of Our Famous Eve, a past winner of the Group 2 Japan Trophy (1600m).
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