A crack at a major summer sprinting prize against the older horses hasn’t been ruled out for quality three-year-old Poetic Champion.
The stakes winning son of Super Seth is back in work and making good progress following a brief spring campaign that convinced trainer Tony Pike that, in the shorter term at least, he would be best kept to shorter assignments.
Poetic Champion was an emphatic first-up winner of the Listed El Roca – Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) at Hastings before he finished fourth in the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m).
“He’s an out and out sprinter and he throws everything into his races, he might get 1400m when he’s older, but at this stage he’s definitely a 1200m horse,” Pike said.
To that end, he is now mulling over more immediate options for the freegoing chestnut.
“He had a short break before he came back into the stable and galloped well this (Thursday) morning,” Pike said.
“We’ll trial him at Counties on December 17 and then confirm a plan after that.
“Obviously, the three-year-old race (Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy, 1200m) on Karaka Millions night could be a target but if he trialled brilliantly, we might even consider going into the Telegraph (Gr.1, 1200m) at weight-for-age.
“That might be a little bit left field at this stage, but we’ll keep an eye on what the sprinting ranks come up like and with the pull in the weights we might think about it.”
Meanwhile, Pike’s immediate focus is on Saturday’s meeting at Ellerslie where Poetic Champion’s fellow three-year-old Honey Badger will face her sternest test in the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m).
The El Roca filly delivered a strong resuming performance last time out at Te Aroha for her first victory in three appearances.
“She has come back really well, and she was good last time on a rain-affected track and the second horse (Celestial Wonder) has come out and run really well again,” Pike said.
“It’s an even field on Saturday so we’ll get a fair idea of where she sits at this stage of her preparation.”
Pike has a number of other genuine each-way prospects at Ellerslie, including Roederer in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers’ Championship (2100m).
The son of Turn Me Loose was narrowly denied a fifth career victory last time out when he finished runner-up.
“We had a proper go with him at Counties the other day, we had set him up for that race and he just got done by a nose,” Pike said.
“I’m sure he’ll run well again, and Dimaggio is also close to getting another one.”
Almanzor’s son Dimaggio also finished second at the Pukekohe meeting last month and will bid to go one better in the Barfoot & Thompson Handicap (1400m). – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk.
