Provocative
Kenton Wright- Race Images
A Queensland Oaks start has been confirmed for Provocative by Tony Pike, who will now have three Group One runners at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
The Zabeel filly's owners Robin Peel-Walker and Mark Wyborn and their Cambridge trainer have decided against taking on the colts and geldings in the Queensland Derby.
"There's probably not a lot of depth in the Derby to be fair, but she would have been 50/50 to make the field so we're staying where we are," Pike said.
"She worked very well on Tuesday morning and pulled up really well – she's a clean-winded filly and the extra week hasn't done her any harm."
Pike was referring to the abandonment of last Saturday's Oaks meeting.
Provocative was a last-start winner of her Australian debut at Ipswich under Vinnie Colgan, but Leith Innes, who rode her in all four of her New Zealand starts, will take the mount on Saturday.
Colgan will be in action at Eagle Farm though as he will continue his association with Sacred Star, on whom he has won two Group One sprints – The Telegraph and the NRM Sprint.
"The owners have decided to have another run in the Stradbroke," Pike said. "If he could run in the first five or six we would be rapt, it's a very hot race."
Sacred Star ran fifth in the 2014 Stradbroke and he finished sixth 12 months ago.
Pike is confident of another top performance from his two-year-old Sacred Elixir in the Gr.1 J. J. Atkins Stakes.
"He's loving it over here," he said "He's really flying and the mile at Eagle Farm will be absolutely ideal for him."
Sacred Elixir won at Caloundra two runs back before he got home powerfully from a wide alley to finish a close sixth in the Gr.2 Sires' Produce Stakes on the tighter Doomben track. – NZ Racing Desk.
The Zabeel filly's owners Robin Peel-Walker and Mark Wyborn and their Cambridge trainer have decided against taking on the colts and geldings in the Queensland Derby.
"There's probably not a lot of depth in the Derby to be fair, but she would have been 50/50 to make the field so we're staying where we are," Pike said.
"She worked very well on Tuesday morning and pulled up really well – she's a clean-winded filly and the extra week hasn't done her any harm."
Pike was referring to the abandonment of last Saturday's Oaks meeting.
Provocative was a last-start winner of her Australian debut at Ipswich under Vinnie Colgan, but Leith Innes, who rode her in all four of her New Zealand starts, will take the mount on Saturday.
Colgan will be in action at Eagle Farm though as he will continue his association with Sacred Star, on whom he has won two Group One sprints – The Telegraph and the NRM Sprint.
"The owners have decided to have another run in the Stradbroke," Pike said. "If he could run in the first five or six we would be rapt, it's a very hot race."
Sacred Star ran fifth in the 2014 Stradbroke and he finished sixth 12 months ago.
Pike is confident of another top performance from his two-year-old Sacred Elixir in the Gr.1 J. J. Atkins Stakes.
"He's loving it over here," he said "He's really flying and the mile at Eagle Farm will be absolutely ideal for him."
Sacred Elixir won at Caloundra two runs back before he got home powerfully from a wide alley to finish a close sixth in the Gr.2 Sires' Produce Stakes on the tighter Doomben track. – NZ Racing Desk.