3 minute read
Perfect Jewel Impressively Wins Cockram Stakes at Caulfield.
Punters often bank on William Pike to get them out of their troubles late in the day in Perth, but now domiciled in Melbourne for the spring carnival he has again lived up to his moniker of last race Pikey.
Riding the Perth mare Perfect Jewel in the $160,000 Group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m), the final race at Caulfield on Saturday, Pike timed his run to perfection to record an impressive win.
Drawing out in the second-half of the field, Pike allowed the early pace to go allowing Perfect Jewel to settle behind that speed.
The speed was fast, set by She's A Thief (NZ) who rolled along in the lead. Meuse threw out a challenge early in the straight, as did Street Icon, before Perfect Jewel descended on the leading group inside the 150m mark and quickly put the race away.
Pike has come across from Perth and is renting a house in Bendigo to continue his association with the Bob Peters-owned horses that are in Victoria under the care of Grant And Alana Williams.
Grant Williams has moved across Australia to be in charge of the team at Brent Stanley's property at Sutton Grange, just outside Bendigo.
A $14 chance, Perfect Jewel scored by a length from Bless Her ($6.50) with She Shao Fly ($19) the same margin off third.
Rubisaki, victorious at her previous six starts and resuming from a spell, was sent off the $2.90 favourite, but was never a threat, finishing 10th, 5.65 lengths from the winner.
Grant Williams said Perfect Jewel has done a great job to earn almost $1 million in prize money.
"She had 12 months there where she was a bit quiet but the team at home have done a super job with her and she's really blossomed since she got here," Williams said.
"I've been using her to get the others fit and she's been beating most of them.
"She's had good groundwork at home and to get them out of the sand and onto the track really helps them."
A six-year-old by Redoute's Choice from the Jeune (GB) mare Star Encounter, Perfect Jewel has won eight of her 23 starts for Peters Investments Pty Ltd and $989,930 in prize money.
Perfect Jewel firmed from $51 to $15 with TAB Fixed Odds for the Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield on September 19.
Williams saddled Regal Power in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes, but the trainer was left disappointed with the gelding's performance, finishing 12th, almost six lengths from the winner Behemoth.
"My gut is that he's underdone," Williams said.
"We'll just see how he pulls up and get the vet to have a look at him on Monday.
"I'd really like to back him up. I'm just having a bit of trouble getting him fit. I'd probably like to keep racing him."
