Pike Closes In On Century
9 May, 2016
Thoroughbred
Champion hoop William Pike can smash through a century of winners with a strong book of mounts at Belmont on Wednesday.
Pike, stranded on 98 winners for the season, will fancy his hopes on Leitfaden, Onapara, Angelic Angel, Point and Dusha Zachistki.
Western Australia’s premier jockey missed a chunk of rides last Saturday after partnering Arcadia Dream in the Australasian Oaks at Morphettville.
Pike was determined to make the trip to Adelaide after an ill-timed shoulder injury prevented him from claiming a Group One double last year.
In a bitter blow the 30-year-old was forced to relinquish winning rides on Delicacy in the Australasia Oaks (2000m) and South Australian Derby (2500m).
Pike, who currently enjoys a winning strike rate of 26 per cent, will claim an eighth Perth jockey premiership at the end of the season in July.
His search for 100 wins begins with Leitfaden in race one: the Multicultural Raceday This Saturday Plate (1200m).
The Choisir filly claimed a maiden victory two starts back and was beaten a nose by Stored Energy over 1300m on April 30.
Angelic Angel runs into the red-hot Royalic in the Belmont Park-Tickets From $5 Handicap (1200m), but did impress when winning a Bunbury maiden last-start.
Point is a newcomer from the Bob and Sandra Peters nursery, who won two races in Ipswich and the Gold Coast when under the care of Ben Currie last year.
Dusha Zachistki, for young trainer, Kieran McDonagh, steps up after a Pinjarra maiden victory in the Del Basso Smallgoods Handicap (1300m).
Julio Santarelli