Morior Invictus, presented by Ross Pike at the 2013 Garrards 2YO Trialling Sale, returns as a Group winner with Todd McCarthy for Michael Stanley after the inaugural C.J. Garrard 2YO Classic at Tabcorp Park, Menangle, in August 2014.
SANTA CLAUS isn't the only certainty each December for Victorian-based horseman, Ross Pike.
Shepparton-based Pike is a regular vendor in the annual Garrards 2YO Trialling Sale, at Tabcorp Park, Menangle, which this year will be held on Sunday, December 7 - the day after the Treuer Memorial.
A born horseman, Pike conducts Destiny Downs, a business which specialises in gaiting and preparing young horses.
That's why the annual 2YO Trialling Sale fits perfectly with Pike's schedule - and the results prove it!
"This is the fourth set of trials and sale coming up, and I've been there since the first one," Pike said.
"I prefer educating youngsters to straight-out training and going to the races, and I aim to present well-educated, handleable potential racehorses."
Pike has hit the mark in that regard, with sales graduates not only having won on debut and inside 1:55, but he also presented Morior Invictus, the winner of last month's inaugural Group Three $30,000 C.J. Garrard Classic at Tabcorp Park, Menangle.
Morior Invictus went through the auction ring last December for only $30,000, so he has been an astute purchase for Queensland Gold Coast car dealer, Grantley Davis, and his son, Isaac, who race the now three-year-old with Ballarat-based trainer, Michael Stanley.
Not only is Morior Invictus a Group winner in his first season, he also skites a sub-2:00 time, more than $40,000 in the bank and a heat of the prestigious Vicbred series to his name.
Pike has a four-pronged assault on this year's Garrards Sale: two Sportswriter fillies and colts by Courage Under Fire and Rock N Roll Heaven.
"I target the Garrards sale with young horses most likely to do the job at two, and keep going," Pike said. "I don't stress them, but have them educated to do the job at that stage of their preparation."
One of Pike's Sportswriter fillies is out of Perfechson (2:01.1), a two and three-year-old winner and the dam of winners from her first three foals, including Gamebreaker (1:56.1) and Sign Of Perfechson (1:58.1).
"Perfechson is a half-sister to Blacks A Fake and nine other winners, with five inside 2:00 and two in better than 1:54," Pike said. "You don't need any more in a pedigree, and this filly is quality."
The other Sportswriter filly is out of Dynasty Bound (2:00.7), like Perfechson, a two and three-year-old winner.
"I have found that lightly-raced, winning young mares do the job, and both dams of the fillies fit that bill," Pike said.
The Dynasty Bound filly is a half-sister to $220,000 winner, Jezal Theory (1:52.4), 11-time winner Skippy Saddler (1:56.9) and Whereyawheeliebin (2:00.3).
The Courage Under Fire colt is out of a half-sister or sister to five winners, including the Australian Pacing Gold 2YO champion, Waranga Drive, while the exciting Rock N Roll Heaven colt's dam, Armbro Sharon (1:58.7), the winner of 11 races, is already a 1:52.7 producer of a Group One winner, with four credits, three in 2:00 beside her name.
Maywyn Jasper, the first foal of Armbro Sharon, is an Australian Pacing Gold champion beating For A Reason, so it's plain to see that the family comes early and stays late!
Pike realises the value of sustaining young horses in as many features as possible, so his Class of 2014 includes eligibilities for such rich series as the Australasian Breeders' Crown, Australian Pacing Gold, Bathurst Gold Crown, New South Wales Breeders Challenge and Vicbred.
Ross Pike knows horses - he's bred to: his uncle, Colin Pike, raced the incomparable Paleface Adios, while his father, Keith Pike, raced-and-trained another superstar of the same era, Just Too Good.
Just Too Good - it sounds like Ross Pike!
