Pike’s Rebel too smart
THREE smart 2-year-olds fought out the finish of the Virkon 1200 at Te Rapa yesterday.
Sacred Rebel arrived at Te Rapa with a reputation and lived right up to the hype with a powerful win.
The good looking son of Sepoy was purchased for A$100,000 at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Raffles Racing and indicated his ability with a strong Taupo trial win in May ridden by Vinnie Colgan.
Colgan was in the saddle for his debut and the experienced jockey was suitably impressed with the gelding’s debut win.
‘‘I was a bit worried when we were giving two good horses a decent start but he picked them up like a top horse,’’ Colgan said.
The two he picked up were another debutant Karisto, from the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman stable, and Opaki visitor Waldorf trained by Andrew Campbell.
Both had a bit of experience on the winner, Karisto, a Written Tycoon colt had four trials to prepare and third placed Waldorf a Highly Recommended colt, a race winner with four starts under his belt and a trial outing.
Sacred Rebel ran third in a Cambridge trial before his Taupo win and Pike believes there is plenty more to come.
‘‘He’s got plenty of developing to do,’’ Pike said. ‘‘He’s given two pretty good horses a start and picked them up nicely.
‘‘There’s plenty of form to come out of this race - he relaxed nicely and he’s got the win and we can plan for the spring now.
‘‘It’s ideal to win one with them, it makes it much easier to place them as 3-year-olds.
‘‘He’ll have a short spell now, two or three weeks, and then we’ll get him back. He’ll get further than 1200 metres so it bodes well for the Guineas races in the TRISH DUNELL. spring.’’
The runner-up will also head to the spelling paddock and be back for age group racing in the new season.
‘‘He’s a bit colty,’’ Baker said of Karisto. ‘‘He got going a bit hard today but we were very happy with his run.’’
Forsman said the stable considers he could be a Guineas contender on his return.
Waldorf will stay in work with the Ryder Stakes on his programme.
Despite a Slow 7 rating, the winning time was an impressive 1:11.62.
Baker and Forsman and jockey Matthew Cameron had second placings in the first two on the programme but Huayra won the third, the Balance Agri-Nutrients 1400 for the stable..
A strong field faced the starter for the Rating 75 McMillan Equine Feeds 1200 with a highly promising galloper gaining the honours.
Blue Shadow looked something special as she completed a hattrick of wins, a first in the career of delighted trainer Graeme Hughes.
‘‘She’s certainly something special,’’ he said. ‘‘Quite frightening really.’’
Asked to go forward from her outside gate, Blue Shadow settled kindly for jockey Samantha Spratt and her rider had no concerns thereafter as the Dalghar mare second-rated her opposition.
At just her fourth start, Blue Shadow scampered the 1200m in a remarkable 1:10.99.
She now goes for a spell giving Hughes and owners Colin and Des Bishop and their sister Astrid Morgan, plenty to anticipate on her return.