Excitement rather than nervousness is the main emotion for Cambridge trainer Tony Pike as he saddles the 2000 Guineas favourite for the second year in a row.
Pike and his co-trainer Mark Donoghue on Saturday has Sacred Park in New Zealand’s first Group One Classic of the season, a $3 favourite with bookies on Friday for the 1600m contest at Riccarton after wins in two traditional lead-ups.
But he says it’s a different feeling to last year when subsequent Doncaster Mile winner Sacred Falls maintained his unbeaten record to win, albeit narrowly.
“We had the $1.50 favourite last year, so there was more pressure than anything else,” he told NZ Newswire.
“This time it’s quite different, but we’re a good strong chance and I’m sure he’ll run well.”
Pike knows it’s not easy to win the race two years in a row as even getting to the race can be difficult – he was set to have another leading chance with Allez Eagle until he injured himself before the start of the Sarten Memorial at Te Rapa last month.
Fortunately, the only hiccup since for Pike was a taxi driver dropping him off at the wrong hotel in Christchurch on Friday, and he says Sacred Park has trained well since winning the Wellington Guineas on October 26.
The main query for Sacred Park is the likelihood of good footing as his lead-up wins in the Wellington Guineas and Bonecrusher Stakes were on soft ground.
“He’s trialled on a good surface but never raced on one, so that’s probably his only query but his work on a better surface suggests he’ll handle it without a problem.”
Pike rates the Zabeel gelding Chambord, second in the Coupland Stakes at Ashburton after running greenly, as his toughest opponent.
The only other runner challenging for favouritism in what looks like a weak field for the Guineas is Holloway Stakes winner Atlante.
