William Pike’s immediate focus is on trying to claim this Saturday’s Winterbottom Stakes with Rey Magnerio, but the champion jockey admits another major Pinnacles assignment is absorbing most of his attention.
Pike must choose between two horses he steered to feature 1600-metre victories at Ascot last weekend, with both contenders set to clash in the Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) on December 6.
He secured his sixth Railway Stakes triumph aboard Watch Me Rock before returning just 40 minutes later to guide the Dan Morton-trained King Of Light to an impressive win in the Group 2 WA Guineas.
Pike hoped a quiet drive home to Bunbury might clarify the decision, but he admits he remains torn between the pair.
“It’s a good problem to have, they’re going to converge in one race, but honestly I don’t know,” Pike told SENTrack.
“I’m going to have to flip a coin or something like that.
“Obviously, I’ve gone through it all. Watch Me Rock probably doesn’t get in that well at the weights, whereas King Of Light does.
“Three-year-olds have a good record in the race, but I think Watch Me Rock still had another length up his sleeve (on Saturday), he was waiting on the line.
“It’s very difficult…it’s a good problem to have. I’m not used to making a decision like this, but I’ve got to hope something gives me an answer somehow.”
King Of Light strengthened his position as Northerly Stakes favourite with his WA Guineas victory and now leads betting markets at around $3, while Watch Me Rock sits near the $10 mark for trainers Grant and Alana Williams.
Under the weight-for-age scale, King Of Light will carry just 52kg, compared with Watch Me Rock’s jump from 54kg in the Railway Stakes to 59kg. Pike, however, says weight will not dictate his decision.
“I don’t mind about the weight, I’m not that heavyweight rider – it just means I’d have to behave for a couple of weeks on the weight side – but I just want to try and make the right choice,” he said.
He has already made one tough call this week, opting to ride Rey Magnerio for Robbie Griffiths in the $1.5m Winterbottom Stakes.
Pike partnered Oscar’s Fortune to second behind Joker’s Grin in the Group 3 Colonel Reeves Stakes on November 15 but feared he would struggle to turn the tables against WA’s top sprinter this weekend.
“He’s done nothing wrong, he’s been very good, but I just wasn’t sure if we’d be able to beat Joker’s Grin so I was looking for another option to see if I could have a knockout blow,” Pike said.
Pike will now attempt to secure a fourth Winterbottom Stakes crown, having previously won with Ellicorsam (2004), Hadabeclorka (2010) and Graceful Girl (2021).
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