3 minute read

Tony Pike is likely to unleash just one three-year-old in Saturday's Doug Hawkings 50th Birthday 1100 at Te Rapa, but revealed he has four youngsters on the Hawke's Bay Guineas trail.

The Cambridge trainer accepted with both Felton Road and Sacred Rebel for Saturday's three-year-old sprint, but is set to keep the latter on ice for next month's Listed El Roca Sprint (1200m) at Hastings.

"Outside gate and wet track and looking at the forecast, I don't really want to kick him off on a heavy track," Pike said of Sacred Rebel, an impressive debut winner at Te Rapa in June.

"We'll look at giving him a trial or a gallop at Te Rapa and then kick him off in the three-year-old race at Hastings. He's improved a lot with that first run. It was a good experience for him and he's gone forward nicely. He's definitely heading the right way."

The rain-affected track won't stop two-win Pins colt Felton Road from taking his place at Te Rapa though.

"He'll run. Track conditions aren't going to be ideal, but he seems to get through the ground okay and having first use of the track will be an advantage," Pike said.

"He's forward enough to run well on a heavy track. Leith [Innes, jockey] has been happy with both his jump-outs and he's in the right condition to run a big race."

Pike said Felton Road was likely to sit behind the speed on Saturday.

"His first two wins were off the pace and he was ridden probably a bit closer than he was really comfortable with when he ran third in the Karaka Million. He's best when he's ridden cold and really hitting the line."

Felton Road is set to tackle the Listed Tavistock Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Ruakaka on September 16 as his lead-up to the Gr.2 Sacred Falls Hawke's Bay Guineas (1400m) at Hastings on October 7.

Exciting colt Aim Smart is likely to resume in the Northland Breeders’ Stakes before heading to the Hawke's Bay Guineas, while unbeaten Jimmy Choux gelding Bostonian is likely to join Sacred Rebel in contesting the El Roca Sprint as his lead-up to the Guineas.

Meanwhile, Pike is happy with his Gr.2 Lisa Chittick Foxbridge Plate (1200m) contender Rangipo ahead of Saturday's Te Rapa feature, though he has expressed doubt about the Group One winner's potency on a deteriorating track.

"His jump-out at Cambridge was outstanding and his work since has been good, but the forecast for rain on Saturday has us worried," Pike said.

"I'd say 80 per cent of that field is going to be vulnerable so we'll probably bite the bullet and run.

"He'll improve a ton with the run and he would appreciate a better track, but he's forward enough to run a cheeky race."