PIKE HEADS TO VICTORIA FOR ALL STAR ASSAULT

Pike’s first assignment when exiting quarantine will be to steer Regal Power into a position to qualify for next month’s All Star Mile. 

Regal Power won the $5m race last year however this year owner Bob Peters decided against nominating Regal Power and instead listed Arcadia Queen for nomination. 

Peters wanted to ensure his star of spring Arcadia Queen qualified for the race by securing enough votes through the first phase of qualification and subsequently rely on Regal Power to gain wildcard qualification for the race. 

Arcadia Queen sat second in voting on Friday before the scoreboard went dark and the 10 final spots were confirmed over the weekend. Pike will ride with Arcadia Queen in the All Star Mile but does have the task of steering Regal Power through the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes over 1800m first. 

Regal Power has been out of action since appearing in the Group 1 Memsies Stakes last August where a lung infection was cause for cutting his spring campaign short. The Grant and Alana trained runner will need to perform well on Saturday to remain top of mind for the Racing Victoria wildcard selectors. 

Peters isn’t unfamiliar with using the two pronged approach going into the weekends racing with his other runner, Superstorm finishing second in the Mile to give the WA owner the quinella last year. 

“He’s pretty good at planning things out. Bob’s a very smart man and I’m sure he put a lot of thought into the approach,” Pike said.

Pike took control of Regal Power at Lark Hill for his most recent trial and was brimming with confidence after he came out victorious defeating fellow Group 1 winner Trap for Fools. 

“He felt really good again but that was the frustrating thing, he actually felt brilliant before the spring as well,” Pike said.

“It was definitely much more like him in the trial though.

“He was keen and attacked the line and really wanted to do it so we were very pleased with him.

“That was much more the Regal Power that I’m used to.”

Regal Power isn’t currently listed in the all In betting however Arcadia Queen still sits prominent as joint favourite at $5 to win the $5m race. 

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