Pike team on fire in Queensland
Simply Sacred winning at Ipswich on Sunday Photo: Grant Peters
Cambridge trainer Tony Pike experienced Group One success with The Bostonian in the Doomben 10,000 (1200m) on Saturday and less than 24 hours later stablemate Simply Sacred continued Pike’s winning ways when taking out her 1685m Ipswich assignment by three lengths.
Pike was pleased with the three-year-old filly’s performance, but believes they are racing against the clock to tackle the big Classic races in Brisbane in the coming month.
“She has always given us the impression that she is a really talented filly, but has probably just been a bit immature and a bit inexperienced in her races to date,” Pike said
“She put a really good gap on them late at Ipswich which is good to see.
“We are probably running out of time for an Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m) or a Derby (Gr.1, 2400m), but we will run her again in about 10 days to two weeks’ time and just see where we can get to.
“Maybe a race like the Sunshine Coast Guineas (is an option) if we can’t get to one of the major three-year-old staying races.”
Meanwhile, Pike is hoping to make it three straight wins in Queensland on Wednesday when Intrigue contests a three-year-old 2200m race at the Sunshine Coast.
Pike said a few things went against the daughter of Showcasing in her first-up run in the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) earlier this month and he is expecting his filly to win in weaker company.
“It’s a massive drop in class from the Bracelet where she didn’t have a lot of luck that day,” he said.
“It was an extremely heavy track. She got caught back in a very slowly run race and had to make a long, wide sustaining run, which really didn’t suit. That was straight off the plane as well.
“She has done really well in the last ten days and looking at the field, she has got to carry 59 kilos but class should take her a long way and I would be very disappointed if she got beaten.”
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