Pike’s sure he has the Elixir for Derby success
MICHAEL MANLEY FOUR years ago, New Zealand trainer Tony Pike lost the best horse he’d trained, Sacred Falls, to Chris Waller despite having trained him to win six from six in New Zealand.
Today at Flemington, the horse Pike rates as the best horse he has trained since, Sacred Elixir, is expected to deliver the 41-year-old Kiwi trainer his biggest success and win the Victoria Derby. Under Waller, Sacred Falls went on to win two Doncaster Miles.
Pike understood why Sacred Falls’ owners Raffles Racing sent him to Australia, and they also own Sacred Elixir.
“As a stallion they needed to increase Sacred Fall’s value so sending him to Australia was a logical thing to do,” Pike said.
Although shares in Sacred Elixir were sold to Hong Kong interests yesterday, Pike said he was not in danger of losing this galloper to there.
“We might tackle the Hong Kong invitational day next year but that’s it I would think,” he said.
Kyan Yap, who manages the Malaysian-based syndicate Raffles Racing for his father, property developer Dato Yap, said Pike was an integral part of their operation.
Yap said Raffles Racing began eight years ago when his father bought a thoroughbred property in New Zealand.
“We bought it without having any idea about breeding,” he said. “We then looked into the business of running the farm and decided to get involved in the breeding part and try and make it more profitable.”
Yap said they sell most of the yearlings they breed but also buy 20 to 30 yearlings each year as well. One of those yearlings was Sacred Elixir who they paid $170,000 for at the NZ National Sales.
“He’s a gelding so we won’t be transferring him away from Tony. He’s been with the horse from day one,” Yap said.
Yap also pointed out that star mare First Seal was a horse they bred and sold.
Their success has continued and recently they have won Group 1 races in New Zealand with Sacred Star.