Astute New Zealand trainer Tony Pike has always had a big opinion of his American Pharoah (USA) colt Khufu and when produced at Hawera on Friday he justified that view with a strong finishing victory.
Spelled after finishing sixth on debut in the Group II Eclipse Stakes on New Year’s Day, Khufu has been allowed to grow and develop over the winter and produced a powerful late finish to charge home and win the 1200m maiden by a long neck as a hot favourite.
A $150,000 Karaka Book 1 purchase for Pike Racing from the Curraghmore draft , Khufu is the first winner for stakes-winning Alamosa mare Strada Cavallo, who was Group I placed in both the New Zealand Thousand Guineas and Oaks.
The oldest Southern Hemisphere bred progeny of American Pharoah are just three year-olds with the best still to come this season given the majority of his first crop are still unraced.
American Pharoah has had a phenomenal year in 2021 siring 12 stakes-winners worldwide and he is back at Coolmore this spring at a fee of $49,500.
