William Pike will head into Saturday's Group 3 $200,000 Belmont Sprint (1400m) with strong momentum after a rare Friday riding appearance at Albany that paid immediate dividends for his supporters.
Impressive Win on Conducive
In the first race at the Great Southern circuit, the champion jockey, known as the Wizard, steered Conducive ($1.65 favourite) to victory, making light work of her maiden rivals. Positioning behind pacesetter Luz Del Sol ($12), Conducive was given a clear run when the leader left the fence at the 500m mark. Pike urged her along without using the whip, and the Contributer three-year-old comfortably held God'll Getya ($11) by a length on the rain-affected surface.
"She trialled really well leading into today but there were a lot of unknowns," Pike said. "Heavy10 and a pretty new and green horse, you never know what to expect, but she was actually quite professional. Jumped well, sat in behind a nice speed. It was good to get that easy run up the inside but at the same time, it came really early, and I was left alone for a long time. But still, she had a bit to play with, and it was good to get the job done."
Horses racing in owner Peters Investments' cerise-and-white colours are often seen to best effect over longer trips, unlike the 1100m journey Conducive faced on Friday. "She came back quite hot under the collar, so it suggests she may want a few more of the short ones before they step her out (in distance)," Pike said. "But Mr Peters seems to get them out further than I ever think they can, so I never say never when these colours are on."
Pincer Movement Success
Pike again carried those silks to success in race three when he galvanised debutante Pincer Movement ($2.05 favourite) into action. He cut behind the leading pack around the home turn before delivering him to salute in a typical Pike ride. "I didn't give him much chance before just because I thought he's going to have to be something good to be able to get through these conditions," he said. "I wasn't confident at all. I wasn't travelling. Luckily for me, he stayed strong through the line."
Belmont Sprint Showdown
Despite uniting for all five of Pike's Albany mounts, trainer Michael Grantham will be at odds with the champion jockey when they meet in the weekend's Belmont Sprint. The Peters-Grantham combo will be represented by Diamond Scene ($16) in the sprint, while Pike rides the more fancied Western Empire ($2.80) from the Grant and Alana Williams stable. Diamond Scene, to be steered by Steve Parnham, has contested three Perth Cups over 2400m but can fly fresh, having won at each of his last three preparations over 1600m and 1400m (twice).
Pike has not ridden Western Empire since November last year, instead opting to ride Watch Me Rock (first), King Of Light (14th) and Rey Magnerio (first) in the gelding's subsequent winless starts. Smooth Chino ($2.30 favourite) remains the top pick for the 1400m feature after saluting in the Northam Stakes (1300m) at his previous start, preserving a perfect six-from-six record when teaming with Austin Galati.
