Surely Sacred to deliver Tony Pike's promise to Damian Lane in the Australian Derby on Saturday. Photo / Trish Dunell
Surely Sacred to deliver Tony Pike's promise to Damian Lane in the Australian Derby on Saturday. Photo / Trish Dunell
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Tony Pike will be honouring a promise to Golden Slipper-winning jockey Damian Lane at Randwick on Saturday.
Lane added the Gr.1 Golden Slipper (1200m) to his CV when successful on Kiamichi last month and will be out to win at the top level for Pike when the Cambridge trainer legs him aboard Surely Sacred in the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
"I owe Damian a Derby ride,'' Pike said. ''He rode Sacred Elixir for me in Melbourne a few years ago and won a couple on him, but he didn't get to ride him in the Victoria Derby (Gr.1, 2500m) as we had Zac Purton booked for that.
"I told him I'd give him a Derby ride one day and he'll have his chance on Surely Sacred on Saturday. I'm looking forward to it.''
Pike secured Lane's services for Surely Sacred (who races in the same Raffles Racing colours as Sacred Elixir) when the Rock 'N' Pop three-year-old made his Australian debut in the Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) last start.
Surely Sacred drew wide when he finished fourth, five and a half lengths behind the boom three-year-old The Autumn Sun, on a rain-sodden Rosehill track and Pike is hoping for a better draw for the Derby.
"He had to make a long-sustained run and the way the track was playing he almost got there too soon,'' Pike said. ''He was off the bridle the last bit and just ground away.
''It's been the same in his last three runs. He's had to make long sustained runs. But if he gets a good draw and can race a bit handier, he can be held up for the last crack at them. He sprints very quickly.''
Pike is happy with Surely Sacred's progress since the Rosehill Guineas and is confident he will be right in the firing line over the final stages of Saturday's Australian Derby.
''He had a quiet hit-out on Saturday morning and will gallop on the course proper on Tuesday,'' Pike said.
''Hopefully there's not too much more rain in Sydney, but Randwick does hold up better than Rosehill and it is the first day of the carnival."- NZ Racing Desk
