Stakes targets are in the offing for promising filly Intan if she can maintain her current trajectory.
The Tony Pike-trained daughter of Shamexpress made a pleasing start to her career when runner-up on debut as a late two-year-old last season behind subsequent Group Three winner She’s Not Saint before being pulled up at her next start.
After being freshened, she returned with a bang in her opening assignment as a three-year-old, taking care of a quality line-up, including the highly regarded Thunder In Motion, when winning over 1100m at Taupo earlier this month.
Pike has been pleased with her progression and is looking forward to her lining up in the Savaglee Standing At Mapperley Stud 3YO (1200m) at Tauranga on Saturday.
“She is not a very big filly, but she is very genuine, has got good gate speed and was good fresh-up at Taupo beating Thunder In Motion, who went on to frank that form at Wellington,” Pike said.
“She has trained on nicely and she looks like a genuine little filly who should run well again on Saturday.”
Bred and raced by Ben Kwok, Intan will be given her chance to attain black-type over the coming months.
“We will try and get some black type if possible with her,” Pike said. “Whether she is up to that level she will tell us going forward. We will get through Saturday, and she will improve again with that raceday experience, and we will possibly look at one of the three-year-old sprint races through the summer.”
Intan may be joined in Saturday’s race by stablemate Admiral Vos, however, the last-start winner has also been entered for Ellerslie next Tuesday, and Pike said he will wait to see how he draws there before making a decision.
“He is going to be nominated for Cup Day in a 65 1100m as well,” Pike said. “If he drew wide in that we will probably run on Saturday.
“He was good at Tauranga last time, he led and dictated the tempo and had a good look around when he was out in front. We are going to put the blinkers on him for his next run, which will help him focus a wee bit more. He is lightly tried as well with natural ability.”
Pike will also be represented by last-start placegetter Cosmic Pursuit in the Gartshore Construction 2100 and Del Inquent in the Super Liquor Greerton (1580m).
“It was a good effort by Cosmic Pursuit last start,” Pike said. “He was entered to run at Rotorua over 1950m, but when the meeting was abandoned, I thought second-up at 2100m might have been a bit of a stretch for him. He probably peaked on his run late, but it was a very genuine run considering it was only his second run of his new preparation.
“He will improve off that run and he will go forward from that wide gate. He only needs to improve a length or two off that last start run to be very competitive.
“Del Inquent is well rated in a rating 65 race. His couple of trials have been reasonable, and I think in this grade of race fresh-up, he should run well.”
Meanwhile, Pike said Astoria Brooke has thrived since placing in last Sunday’s Gr.3 Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham and she will now head to Tauranga next month for the Gr.2 Gartshore Tauranga Stakes (1600m) before contesting the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa a month later.
“She has bounced through that well and I couldn’t be any happier with her,” he said. “She will head to Tauranga in three weeks for the weight-for-age mile, and then four weeks later to Te Rapa for the fillies and mares’ weight-for-age race.”
A Group target also waits stakes-performed filly Grocer’s Girl, who is set to fly to Christchurch next week ahead of the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on Saturday week.
“She has pulled up well from Ellerslie,” Pike said. “She will gallop on Saturday morning and if we are happy with her work, she is booked on a plan to head down to Christchurch for the 1000 Guineas on Wednesday.”