For the affable Cambridge trainer, it was another part of the Flemington puzzle slotted into place with his three-year-old boasting a form line to match his condition and now the inside gate to launch his victory bid.
"The draw wasn't so much of a concern over 2500 metres, we had thought five or
six would have been ideal so we're in a bit closer," Pike said.It is now up to the Hong Kong-based Australian jockey Zac Purton to give the Sacred Elixir camp their second success at the top level.
He won the Gr.1 J.J. Atkins Stakes aboard the Raffles Racing-owned Sacred Elixir during the Queensland winter carnival and with Purton always having first claim on the Derby ride he replaces Damian Lane.
"Zac knows the horse well and he's an internationally successful jockey so he can now map out a plan," Pike said. "It's a shame for Damian, who has done a good job, but he knew the situation."
Lane won both the Gr.3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude and the Gr.2 Vase Stakes aboard Sacred Elixir, who in between times finished eighth in the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas.
"That may have been the one that got away – I don't know what got into the horse that day," Pike said. "He was very fired up and over-raced, but if we can win on Saturday we won't be worrying about that."
Pike is putting his faith in Sacred Elixir's staying pedigree to get the son of Pour Moi home at the head of the Derby field.
"He was very strong on the line last Saturday and with that good Kiwi pedigree behind him I expect that again, hopefully he'll be too big and too strong," he said.
Sacred Elixir is out of the Stravinsky mare Baltika, who is a grand-daughter of New Zealand's Gr.1 Japan Cup winner Horlicks, in turn the mother of the 2000 Melbourne Cup Brew. Another close relation is Australian Derby winner Fiumicino.
New Zealand bred gallopers have an excellent record in the VRC Derby having won seven of the past ten renditions. – NZ Racing Desk.
