Pike Banking On Good Fortune To Smash Morphettville Hoodoo
It’s a minor stain on his storied riding career if that, but it’s one that champion Perth hoop William Pike is desperate to wipe clean.
Despite 17 Group 1s next to his name and a host of Australia’s biggest races locked away in his trophy cabinet, Morphettville has not been a happy hunting ground for Pike.
For a jockey who demands personal success and abhors failure, the fact that Pike’s winning record at Morphettville stands at zero is one that rankles and annoys him.
Pike has booted home big interstate wins at Randwick, Rosehill, Hawkesbury, Newcastle, Caulfield, Mornington, Flemington, Moonee Valley, Bendigo and Balaklava, but Adelaide’s premier race track has been his graveyard.
All this adds to another level of motivation for Pike who will look to right a personal wrong and smash his Morphettville hoodoo when he partners top Perth hope Oscar’s Fortune in Saturday’s Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m).
Pike says it’s time to end his Adelaide drought.
“My record over there is nothing short of terrible,” Pike said to The Races WA.
“It’s about 50 and 0 I think and I can only improve off that.
“I don’t know what it is exactly, but it’s a terrible record.
“I’ve done well on other South Australian tracks, but never ridden a winner at Morphettville.
“Ryan Balfour got me over once and I won the Balaklava Cup on Balf’s Choice.
“That ended up being a good little trip, but it’s been all downhill since then.
“I had my backside kicked last time I was at Morphettville, so I can only improve.”
Oscar’s Fortune, a top flight gelding from Dion Luciani’s team, was Pike’s inspiration to fight back from a broken foot that he sustained in an accident at home in January.
Pike spent three months on the sidelines and was in serious jeopardy of missing Perth’s rich autumn carnival, but won the fitness battle to get back on Oscar’s Fortune.
Pike partnered Oscar’s Fortune to win the Group 3 Roma Cup (1100m) before they finished a creditable third behind Overpass and Amelia’s Jewel in the $5 million The Quokka.
That Quokka performance on top of last year’s runner-up finish to Overpass in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) gave Pike clarity that Oscar’s Fortune was up to winning The Goodwood.
“Absolutely I think he can win it,” Pike said.
“He’s definitely a Group 1 chance.
“Why wouldn’t you have a crack at it.
“He’s only three runs into his preparation and let’s have a go.
“He just got beat a length by Overpass in The Quokka and he’s going pretty good.
“Now is the time to strike and I think the horse mentally has matured a lot.
“I think he’s in a better frame and a better place to handle a trip across and the pressure of a Group 1.
“Where the horse is now is the right time to give it a crack.”
Oscar’s Fortune and Amelia’s Jewel, having her final stanza for trainer Simon Miller, will kick off The Goodwood side by side in barrier eight and nine respectively.
The West Australians are also close in Tabtouch markets with Amelia’s Jewel the $4.20 favourite and Oscar’s Fortune on the second line of betting at $5.50.
Oscar’s Fortune defeated Amelia’s Jewel in the Roma Cup and meets her 3kg better after their last-start Quokka encounter.
Since bursting onto the scene at Belmont last August, Oscar’s Fortune has never finished outside the money.
From nine starts he has five wins and four placings with earnings reaching a touch over one million dollars.
That prize purse looking a complete steal after he was purchased by astute owners for a modest $5,500 in an Inglis Digital purchase.
Julio Santarelli