Tony Pike and Mark Donoghue bagged the first leg of an important three-year-old double when Sacred Park continued his winning ways in the group two Buffalo Man Wellington Guineas at Trentham.
The Cambridge training partners sent the tough colt south yesterday and he duly delivered and now their focus willturn to Allez Eagle, who tomorrow takes on a hot line-up in the group three Sarten Memorial at Te Rapa.
"That's going to be a cracking race, it will be very interesting," Pike said.
Both three-year-olds are on their way to Riccarton for the group one Sothys NZ 2000 Guineas and Sacred Park will be ideally suited to the course and distance.
"He's a big, lazy colt and he only does what he has to do," Pike said. "A big track like Riccarton will suit him; he's a long-striding horse, and he will definitely get a trip."
Sacred Park had won two of his three previous starts and in between had placed at Taupo in his first appearance this preparation.
"He changed legs there and got unbalanced, but to be fair he did need the run and hadn't had a barrier trial," Pike said.
Sacred Park made the running at Trentham and was headed 200 metres from home by the filly Role Model, but he responded to rider Rory Hutchings' urge to come back strongly for a neck victory.
"He's a very tough horse and I thought Mark [Du Plessis] was going to run straight past me, but he showed a lot of fight," said Hutchings, who on Friday returned from an injury-forced spell after breaking his wrist in a trackwork accident.
"The plan was to sit behind them but nothing wanted to come across and he was happy in front."
Role Model was gallant in defeat and the outsider Lucky Feather finished third in front of Lord Turbo and Percy. The latter will now be given a break and return for group one New Zealand Derby preparation. NZ Racing Desk.
