Cambridge-based horseman Tony Pike runs one of the most powerful stables in New Zealand, and he’s enjoyed multiple Group 1 victories on his regular visits to the Queensland winter carnivals.
He has already added significantly to that record on his current venture with The Bostonian (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}) claiming both the G1 Doomben 10,000 and the G1 Kingsford-Smith S. He will now look to make a clean sweep of the sprinting features in the G1 Stradbroke H.
Interestingly, Pike hasn’t risen to the top in his field through the usual channels.
“As far as training goes, I’m pretty well self-taught to be honest,” he said. “I rode trackwork for a number of years when I was younger and did show jumping for quite a few years as well.
“I’ve been brought up around horses and ridden and worked with horses since I was 14. I had a lot of background knowledge, but essentially with the training side of things I kicked off on my own and worked it out as I went along.”
“With the training side of things, I kicked off on my own and worked it out as I went along.” – Tony Pike.
It’s an art he has come to understand incredibly well and while he doesn’t operate with as many numbers as some, he gets results with his career winning tally rapidly approaching 500 and closing in on 50 Group or Listed wins.
Trainer Tony Pike
Pike’s early introduction to racing came via his parents in Hawke’s Bay where his father and mother, Wayne and Vicki, were hoteliers and thoroughbred enthusiasts.
“I grew up in hotels and Dad had a couple of horses,” said Pike. “One of the first ones was Drum.”
Trained by Don Sellwood, the outstanding Drum (NZ) (War Hawk {GB}) won 12 races, including the G1 Auckland Cup, the G2 Trentham S. and at Group 3 level in the Waikato Cup, Harcourt S. and the Thames Valley S.
Sellwood continued his association with the family until a few years ago and Chris McNab, Drum’s regular rider, is now a valued member of the Pike team.
“Don did a couple of trips to Queensland with horses for us and helped out from time to time and Chris is with us and basically my second in charge,” he said.
Career on move
Pike began to get more seriously involved with horses when his family shifted north to the Waikato.
“We moved to Cambridge in 1987 and I started riding trackwork,” he said. “When I turned 17 I decided to go to university and I did a management degree at Waikato.
“After that I did a couple of years at New Zealand Bloodstock and then worked in an accounting office in Hamilton, but I found that too tedious and boring.”
At that time, the family invested in land at Cambridge and from there Pike’s training career was kick-started.
“Back then they were struggling to sell them,” he said. “The location was great and we had 24 boxes and over the years it has grown with the success we’ve had. In 2000 I had the family horses and a few for outside clients. I had between 15 and 20 and tried to develop them and sell them on.”
Major growth
Pike is still training out of the same property, although the operation has grown significantly.
“We bought a couple of lifestyle blocks and developed one side of it for the horses,” Pike said.
His career subsequently took off and serious momentum was added through his association with Raffles Racing.
“They came on board and Sacred Falls was a huge horse for all of us and it’s grown from there,” he said.
Sacred Falls (NZ) trained by Tony Pike and Mark Donoghue now stands at Waikato Stud
Sacred Falls (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) was undefeated in six appearances for Pike, who was then in a training partnership with Mark Donoghue, including victory in the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas and he subsequently joined Chris Waller’s Sydney stable.
He twice won the G1 Doncaster H. and the G1 George Main S. before his retirement to Waikato Stud.
Success flows
Pike, who did the early work with future Waller stars Preferment (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and Kermadec (NZ) (Teofilo {Ire}), has also enjoyed Group 1 success for Raffles with the Telegraph and NRM Sprint winner Sacred Star (Flying Spur), New Zealand Oaks heroine More Than Sacred (More Than Ready {USA}) and the JJ Atkins S. winner Sacred Elixir (NZ) (Pour Moi {Ire}).
“I’ve got some great owners that have come to the stable in the last few years like John Thompson and Mark Wyborn and Robin Peel-Walker,” said Pike.
Tony Pike with Sacred Elixir (NZ)
Thompson’s colours were worn by Vinnie Colgan when he rode Rangipo (Stryker) to victory in the G1 New Zealand Derby while Wyborn and Peel-Walker race the G1 Queensland Oaks winner Provocative (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
She was part of Pike’s greatest training day as her Oaks victory came on the same card at Eagle Farm where Sacred Elixir won the JJ Atkins.
“We’ve been involved together for a few years now and developed some really nice mares.” – Tony Pike.
Pike has also enjoyed ongoing success with his parents in the family breeding operation.
“We’ve been involved together for a few years now and developed some really nice mares,” he said.
They have included the stakes winners and multiple Group 1 placegetters Waterford (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) and Chintz (NZ) (Savabeel) and Kelly O’Reilly (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}), a Group 2 winner.
“Wayne and Vicki are getting a little bit older now so they’re trying to cut it back a wee bit,” Pike said. “There always seems to be a couple of new arrivals though. We normally breed between 10 or 12 mares.”
