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.
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