By Bren O'Brien
Champion Western Australian jockey William Pike has broken a 12-year Victorian drought and recorded just his third stakes win outside his home state, with a breathtaking ride aboard Top Of The Range (NZ) (Savabeel) to win the G3 Jayco Bendigo Cup.
Pike had not ridden a winner in Victoria since May 2007, while his only stakes wins outside of WA had been in Hong Kong and South Australia, but he put all that behind him by threading the needle on the much-improved Top Of The Range to claim the $400,000 race in a thrilling finish.
It looked a forlorn case for Pike and the Michael Moroney trained 6-year-old halfway down the straight as he searched for runs to the outside and inside. The Chris Waller import Brimham Rocks (GB) (Fastnet Rock) was about to be hailed the winner, when Pike squeezed a run up on his inside and with all the momentum, Top Of The Range scored a narrow 0.2l win.
"I had to come back and double check my number was up there," Pike joked after the race. "I've run a lot of close seconds and been very much the bridesmaid on my visits and hopefully I can keep the form going through the carnival.
"I've run a lot of close seconds and been very much the bridesmaid on my visits." - William Pike
"It's nice too because I've been asked to do a job. They've flown me in and asked me to do a job in a Cup race so I was pleased to be able to do the job for connections."
Bred by the Bax family, Top Of The Range is owned by Jonathan Munz's Pinecliff Racing, fellow prominent owner Rupert Legh and Gurners Bloodstock. Munz's bloodstock agent Dean Hawthorne paid $250,000 for the son of Savabeel at the 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale.
Fourth in a G2 Queensland Guineas as a 3-year-old, Top Of The Range didn’t get back to stakes company until earlier this year where he was third in the Listed Roy Higgins Quality and second in the G2 Adelaide Cup. His other stakes-placing was his last start second in the G3 Coongy Cup.
Savabeel, sire of Top Of The Range (NZ)
Moroney said the 6-year-old had finally matured this campaign and he felt he was capable of further stakes success.
"He's come of age. He's never been easy. He has had heart fibrillation, he's a had a lot going wrong with him throughout his career. He's never been easy," he said.
"He's really matured now and he's good to deal with."
"He's come of age. He's never been easy... He's really matured now and he's good to deal with." - Michael Moroney
Moroney finished first and third in the race with Hang Man (Ire) (Windsor Knot {Ire}) moving into the race nicely at the top of the straight but was unable to bridge the gap on the leaders.
"I'm starting to get my doubts about the mile and a half with him. I'll talk to (jockey) James Winks, he knows him well and we’ll make a plan," he said.
Michael Moroney
The result dashed the hope of Brimham Rocks in making the Melbourne Cup and he looks stranded outside of the field at No.36 on the Order Of Entry.
It was a similar case for Sully (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) (40th), who finished seventh, while fellow Cup aspirant Raheen House (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), 30th in the Order Of Entry, pulled up lame. There is also a query over Australian Derby winner Angel Of Truth (Animal Kingdom {USA}) who faded to finish 11th. He is in the field for the Melbourne Cup but appears out of form.
