Return of the master
Group One performer Sacred Master is heading back to a familiar environment.
The well-performed six-year-old is about to report for duty at the Cambridge yard of Tony Pike after a successful stint with champion Australian trainer Chris Waller.
“He’s been in pre-training for six weeks and is due back here shortly,” Pike said.
“He won’t be ready for the Auckland Cup so we’ll look to give him a couple of runs here a bit later and there’s a chance he could go to Brisbane for the Queensland carnival.”
Sacred Master won six races, including the Avondale Cup
(2400m), and finished third in the
2016 edition of the Auckland Cup
(3200m) before he joined Waller’s operation.
The son of Mastercraftsman won the Newcastle Cup (2300m), finished runner-up in the Listed Wyong Cup (2100m) and ran fourth in the The Metropolitan (2400m) during his time in Sydney.
Meanwhile, Pike is confident of a vastly improved showing from his smart three-year-old Ever Loyal in Saturday’s Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie.
The New Zealand 2000 Guineas
(1600m) placegetter was a less than even money favourite when beaten into fourth last time out after overracing outside of the leader.
“We probably should have let him stride along,” he said. “He just pulled himself into the ground.
“If there’s no pace on in the Karaka Mile then we’ll let him roll to the front. We’ll go back to the Norton bit and if he relaxes he’s a big chance.”
Ever Loyal has won two of his seven starts, including the Listed Zacinto Stakes (1600m).
❚ Royally-bred filly Supera put a disappointing debut performance behind her when she opened her winning account at Te Rapa on Sunday.
The younger sibling of dual Group Three winner Eleonora and four-win mare Sopraffina had finished well back at Taupo on debut after a tardy start extinguished any winning chances she may have had. The headstrong Savabeel filly was on her best behaviour this time though as she bounced nicely from an inside barrier to settle handily behind the early pace for rider Cameron Lammas.
Lammas angled Supera off the fence at the 300m mark to issue a strong challenge to pacemaker Walkin’ By before drawing clear to win comfortably by two lengths from race favourite Beauden in the maiden 1200m contest.
Co-trainer Ken Kelso, who prepares Supera at Matamata with wife Bev, was pleased at the reversal of fortunes for the filly who he admitted could be quite a handful off the track.
“She got a bit wound up at Taupo with everything that was going on and played up badly in the barrier,” he said.
“She didn’t have a lot of luck in the straight either where she got held up a bit.
“She’s a filly that has taken a lot of making as she’s hard work but has always had a lot of ability.
“She gets herself in a bit of a tiz, but she’s got it so once she’s had a few starts I think she will settle down.”
Rider Cameron Lammas was of a similar opinion, especially about the cantankerous nature of the filly.
“I think I earnt my riding fee getting her down to the start,” he said.
“She jumped well although I used her up a little to get a position. Once I asked her she just went whoosh. I think she’s going to develop into a nice horse.”
Bred and raced by Sir Peter Vela, Supera is a grand-daughter of his dual Caulfield and Melbourne winner Ethereal.