Champion jockey happy to be proven wrong in 2025 Belmont Oaks
Champion jockey William Pike produced another masterclass at Bunbury on Saturday, booting home three winners including a dominant performance in the Belmont Oaks aboard Fancy Red, and bolstering his claims for the national and local jockey premierships.
The day began with Twisted Steel demolishing the opposition in race one, followed by a tense but successful ride on Fancy Red in the feature, before Pike closed the meeting in style on Supernatural.
Fancy Red, a rising star, took her record to five wins and three placings from nine starts. She showed her class with a tough win over 1400m at Pinjarra before stepping up in distance for the Oaks and delivering again for favourite backers.
“I honestly didn’t expect her to stay,” Pike admitted. “She looked like she was ready for the paddock, but credit to the team—they had this race pegged a long time ago and they got it right.”
The Belmont Oaks win was another notch in the belt for Pike and trainer Adam Durrant, a duo that has now combined for 12 victories in the race over recent years.
Pike also had glowing words for Twisted Steel, who remains unbeaten and could be a serious contender for the Ascot summer carnival. “He’s slick and professional. Rides like that make my job easy,” Pike said.
The treble lifts Pike to 157.5 wins across Australia, with Blake Shinn at 150, and gives him a slight buffer over Chris Parnham (94) in Perth’s title race.
“The Perth premiership means a lot to me,” Pike said. “It’s close, but Saturday gave me a nice buffer. We’ll keep pushing to the finish.”
Punters can follow Pike’s mounts and access odds for upcoming meetings by visiting Australia’s best betting sites.
More Racing News
War Machine to target the 2026 Australia Stakes
Top-class sprinter War Machine will resume in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) at Pakenham on Friday night as connections eye a strong autumn campaign. The race, traditionally held at Moonee Valley, has been moved due to redevelopment works and shapes as an ideal launchpad for the Lindsay Park galloper. War Machine...
2026 Golden Slipper Stakes favourite Incognito nearing return to the races
The absence of Incognito from the Magic Millions 2YO Classic did little to dent his standing in Golden Slipper markets, with the colt edging closer to a raceday return. Michael Freedman elected to sidestep the Gold Coast feature with the $1 million purchase, instead opting for a controlled trial as the...
Antino to target 2026 Queen Elizabeth Stakes in the Autumn
A strong trial session at Deagon on Tuesday will be highlighted by the return of Antino as Tony Gollan begins plotting another autumn campaign for the talented gelding. Antino has not raced since his disappointing effort in the Group 1 Cox Plate, where he finished last after failing to fire on...
Torque To Be Sure breaks maiden in 2026 Magic Millions Guineas, survives protest
Torque To Be Sure finally lived up to his promise with a breakthrough victory in the $3 million Magic Millions 3yo Guineas, though his success came with a nervous wait in the stewards’ room. The Matthew Dunn-trained gelding drifted under pressure in the closing stages, bumping race favourite Ninja as the...
Mile no issue for Merrigold in 2026 Vobis Gold Distaff
Trainer John Sadler admitted a touch of stubbornness delayed Merrigold’s step up to 1600 metres, but the mare made him look wise with a dominant Flemington victory. The five-year-old was having her first start beyond 1400 metres and handled the rise in distance with ease when taking out the Vobis Gold...
Big Sky surges into 2026 Blue Diamond Stakes calculations
Big Sky’s dominant debut at Flemington has propelled him straight into calculations for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m), giving Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr the top two runners in early betting. The Bivouac colt overcame a wide draw in the TAB We’re On (1000m), travelling strongly under Jordan...
Golden Slipper Stakes 2026 plans for Godolphin’s Outspan
The Godolphin-trained Outspan has thrust himself into Golden Slipper calculations after a commanding win at Rosehill on Saturday. After settling just behind the speed in the 1100m contest, the Michael Freedman-trained colt finished strongly to defeat Long Throw ($15) by 1-1/2 lengths, with Miss Chanel ($4.60) another half-length back. The performance marked...
Future History too strong in the 2026 January Cup
Future History showed his class and toughness when landing the $200,000 Listed January Cup at Rosehill, giving Ciaron Maher another feature race success. The eight-year-old almost didn’t take his place in the race after heavy rain downgraded the track, but connections elected to press on despite concerns about the conditions. Ridden positively...
Unit Five powers home in the 2026 Magic Millions Classic
Unit Five announced himself as a rising star with a powerful victory in the $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic, overcoming far more seasoned rivals despite limited race experience. The Ciaron Maher-trained colt, ridden confidently by Thomas Stockdale, held off Tornado Valley by a length, with By Choice finishing just behind...
Tony Gollan’s two-year-old Itching To Go in 2026 Magic Millions Classic
Tony Gollan is leaning on a proven strategy as Itchintogo lines up on a seven-day backup in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) this Saturday. The approach has delivered strong results historically, with six winners of the $3 million race following the same path over the past 15 years. Purchased for $60,000...