Gifted filly Lucy In The Sky (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) will have a gilt-edged opportunity at Riccarton on Saturday to end her two-year-old campaign on a high note.
The Tony Pike-trained juvenile has impressed in both of her appearances and will enjoy a drop in grade in the Listed Berkey Stud Champagne Stakes (1200m) with Jasmine Fawcett booked to guide the youngster.
“She flew down on Sunday and travelled well and it would be nice to get a stakes win under her belt before she goes out and comes back for the spring,” Pike said.
The Cambridge Stud-bred and raced daughter of the farm’s shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain was a slick debut winner at Ellerslie before returning there to finish a creditable sixth in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m).
“She was impressive first-up and very good in the Sistema, she got taken on and was savaged from the 600 or 700m mark by the outsider of the field and she fought on well considering,” Pike said.
A half-sister to Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) winner Ruud Not Too (NZ) (Bernardini), Lucy In The Sky was subsequently untouched to win a 750m trial at Ruakaka last week.
“If she handles the track, we would expect her to go very close,” Pike said.
Closer to home, the stable will have a strong hand in the opening event at Te Rapa with TAB Racing Club (2100m) with two top chances.
“High Country (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) is stepping up in trip and he was really good the other day fresh-up over a mile and Poetic Justice (NZ) (Almanzor) broke through for a pretty soft win in the same grade,” Pike said.
“He will have gained a fair bit of confidence, he’s always showed the talent and has taken a while to mature physically.
“He’s just starting to put it all together now so I would expect both of them to run well.”
In-form four-year-old Cannon Hill (NZ) (Ardrossan) will meanwhile bid to go one better in the Prezzy Card Mile (1600m) following his resuming effort for second over 1400m.
“I quite like Cannon Hill, I thought his fresh run was really good and stepping up to a mile will really suit him,” Pike said.
There is also a sense of timing about Ziggy Stardust (NZ) (Turn Me Loose), who will step out in the SkyCity Hamilton Maiden (1200m).
She has placed in six of her eight starts, including a runner-up finish in last season’s Champagne Stakes and was again second in her most recent outing at Matamata.
Meanwhile, Pike has all but ruled out any involvement in the Brisbane winter carnival.
“We were considering Storm Front (NZ) (Snitzel), but he had a cardiac arrythmia the other day at Ellerslie so that’s sent him to the paddock,” he said.
“I don’t think we will be worrying about Queensland this year, we had a couple of others possibly in mind for lower-level races, but outside of the big races the prize money is not a lot better than here. “We’ll batten down the hatches and try and get everything ready for the spring and summer for next season.”
