Pike has healthy respect for Foxbridge favourite

Tony Pike is approaching in-form mare Churchillian's (NZ)(Churchill) task at Te Rapa on Saturday with a major dose of realism.

The Cambridge trainer has the seven-year-old in top order for the Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) and is only too aware of the challenge the daughter of Churchill faces in the weight-for-age feature.

Churchillian is an accomplished frontrunner and ideally suited by the inside gate, with Samantha Collett again booked for the ride.

“Obviously, the draw helps but I think off her barrier trial I’d be surprised if they can beat Alabama Lass,” Pike said.

“We’ve drawn to get a good trip right on speed and she’s very genuine, but it is a step up in class to be honest, coming off fillies and mares’ races.

“I’m sure she will run well but will need everything to go her way.”

Churchillian has been a top servant of the stable, with 11 victories from 27 appearances, including Group Three successes in the Anniversary Handicap (1600m) and Rotorua Stakes (1400m).

“This is her biggest test to date, but she’s been a stakes winner on a couple of occasions, and this is probably her last season of racing, so it would be nice to get a Group Two or One placing on her resume,” Pike said.

Churchillian holds nominations for the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) and Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m), but nothing is locked in beyond the weekend.

“We’ll just get through Saturday first, and obviously the Proisir Plate is an option, but with a mare like her it’s very much race by race,” Pike said.

“She had a little hit-out at the Te Rapa trials, which she needed and had a good puff afterwards and that’s brought her on nicely, but I’m not holding any great hope of beating Alabama Lass over 1200m.”

Pike also has a good opinion of Shirase, who will debut in the Banquo 3YO (1200m) with Collett in the saddle.

“She’s a filly we really like and had a quiet trial on the synthetic on Tuesday and went super,” he said.

“She’s very well bred and is a half-sister to (stakes winners) Subpoenaed and Not Guilty and is a quality type, if she does everything right on Saturday, she will be hard to beat.”

“We’ve got a lot of nice unraced three-year-olds that have trialled well, Shirase is one of them, and they’ll be kicking off in the next two or three weeks.”

Among the proven brigade is Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) hopeful Grocer’s Girl, with the stakes performer likely to resume at Ellerslie on September 5.

She is more advanced than debut juvenile winner and multiple stakes runner-up Harvey Wallbanger

“He had to have a chip taken out of his knee and is on the water walker and he’ll be back in the stable in the first week of September to build up to the three-year-old sprint races at Ellerslie over Christmas and into the New Year,” Pike said.

He also has Deep Pursuit in the Ardrossan Handicap (1200m) at Te Rapa on Saturday but would rather have had him travel to Hastings for the Livamol Classic 10 Oct – Tickets On Sale Now (1200m).

“The reports I’m getting from some of the locals who I know quite well down there is that the track’s not great and will be very, very testing,” he said.

“I would have preferred for him to go to Hawke’s Bay, it looked a walk in the park for him down there.

“It’s a pretty weak race and while he can get through wet tracks, he’s not a really heavy track horse so it looks like he might head to Te Rapa.”

Eluid is also a doubtful starter in the Betta Inspect It NZ Punter Of The Year (1600m).

“I’ll make a call and he could possibly go to Wanganui on Saturday week,” Pike said.