Cambridge trainer Tony Pike is feeling quietly confident as he heads into next weekend's Gr.3 Sunshine Coast Guineas (1600m) with star three-year-old, The Bostonian.
The Jimmy Choux gelding gave his age group rivals a good old-fashioned hiding over 1400m at Doomben on Saturday with Pike reporting he had come throughthe race in excellent fashion.
"He has pulled up well and provided there are no issues over the next couple of days then we will head into the weekend with a fit and in-form runner," he said.
"It was a top performance on Saturday as he was caught a little wide early on with Michael (Cahill) having to give him a dig up to cross over to the front.
"Once he got there he relaxed nicely and kept up a very strong gallop throughout to win fairly convincingly.
"It was a day that didn't really suit the front-runners so to do what he did stamped it as a very good effort."
Pike could well have a strong hand in this Saturday's final three-year-old feature for the Queensland Winter Carnival with stablemate Sacred Rebel also likely to start in the race after finishing mid-field behind his stablemate on the weekend.
"On the face of it he could have appeared a little disappointing, but circumstance played against him," he said. "He got caught five-wide and didn't get any peace until he got outside The Bostonian with about 600m to run.
"Provided he comes through that effort okay then he will be nominated for the Guineas as well."
Win, lose or draw this Saturday's race will be the last for The Bostonian in his current campaign. "He can have a good break and then we'll get him ready for spring."
