Sacred Elixir savaged the line in the Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1350m) a fortnight ago, and trainer Tony Pike believes the two-year-old will be very hard to beat when he lines up for the Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Sacred Elixir worked well alongside stablemate Sacred Star (pictured) at Eagle Farm on Tuesday morning. Photo: Daniel Costello
Sacred Elixir has stamped himself as a particularly exciting racing prospect for Pike through a short but impressive career so far; claiming two dominant wins and a minor through five starts since first appearing on course in late December.
Jumping from the gates well in the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes, the Pour Moi gelding was settled towards the rear of the thirteen-strong field by jockey Zac Purton; producing an impressive turn of foot in the final straight at Doomben to finish a credible sixth.
Pike told Racing Ahead he is confident the step up to a mile, as well as the ‘big track’ conditions at Eagle Farm will play into Sacred Elixir’s strengths when he lines up for the 2016 JJ Atkins.
“I’m really pleased with him,” Pike said.
“He’s loving Queensland and he’s thrived from his first-up run; his work this morning with Sacred Star was super.
“He’s going the right way and he’s going to love the big Eagle Farm track and a mile.
“We’ve tried to keep him pretty fresh to keep enough speed in his leg for the shorter trips, so we’ve done very little with him, he’s a clean-winded horse and he’s pulled up very well for this morning.
“He’ll run the mile out strongly, probably better than most two-year-olds and we’re excited to get him on the big track.”
Trialling well in the lead-up to his competitive debut, Sacred Elixir immediately announced himself to the New Zealand racing community when working home well for second in the Timeout Maiden (1200m) at Ellerslie.
Breaking through for a maiden race win in the Countdown To Karaka Millions Plate (1200m) on January 9th, Sacred Elixir made a credible transition to black type company when sixth in the Listed Karaka Millions (1200m) on January 24th.
Winning a strong Te Rapa trial by two lengths on April 26th, the gelding out of Baltika charged home to win the Bundaberg Rum Handicap (1400m) on the Sunshine Coast, in what was his only other start prior to the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes on May 11th.
Sacred Elixir remains an outright $4 favourite in early JJ Atkins betting markets with Ladbrokes Australia.
