Racing: Answer to wet track blues close to home for frustrated Cambridge trainer Tony Pike

Not An Option. Photo / Bradley Photography

The big wet could cost trainer Tony Pike winning chances on both sides of the Tasman today, but at his home track of Cambridge the solution is almost ready.

While it isn't winter yet, it might as well be in racing circles as all the tracks around the country will come up at least slow if not heavy this weekend, including for today's Cup meeting at Arawa Park in Rotorua.

As if that doesn't make punting tricky enough Pike has one of his best gallopers, Not An Option, resuming at Doomben in Brisbane today and he is also expected to have a heavy or at best slow track to contend with.

"I think it will make it hard for him," says Pike of the expensive purchase.

"He is flying but he is also first-up for a long time and I am worried about that wet-track fitness if it is a slog over the 1350m fresh-up. I think he will settle handy enough from his draw and he has the class but fresh-up on what could become a sticky track gives me my doubts."

Not An Option is one of the few Kiwi gallopers at the Doomben 10,000 meeting, with a bigger New Zealand presence expected next Saturday.

Closer to home, Pike will scratch Beauty Star from the Rotorua Cup because of the wet track there.

"He is just useless on the wet so there is no point him going around."

That is a scenario looming for a few gallopers hanging around this late into the autumn in the hope of finding a decent track for one or two more runs before heading to the paddock.

"We have horses heading there [Rotorua] on Saturday and it is a case of either they will handle the track and they can keep going or they don't and that is their season over."

Pike suggests both Bentayga (R3, No 4) in the strong 3-year-old race and Gallardo (R5, No 10) have chances but his best hope for the meeting may have to wait until the last race.

"Dawn Parade [R9, No 6] is better than he showed last start because he didn't suit being trapped wide.

"He has drawn wide this week and will be dragged back to last and have to come around them all but I think he can still win if he handles the track."

Pike's Queensland assault continues on Sunday when he has Melody Belle's juvenile half-brother Tutukaka making his Australian debut in a A$50,000 race aptly named after Pike's former Group 1 winner Sacred Elixir.

"It looks a nice field but he is ready to run well."

While wet tracks are frustrating for Pike and plenty of other trainers in the north, help is on the way for some with Cambridge to hold New Zealand's first synthetic track race meeting on Wednesday.

"The track looks great and while there is still some construction going on, the actual racing facilities are ready and I think the club will have a big launch meeting," said Pike.

"The track is ready for racing and it will be a great option in the wetter months."