CHAMPION Western Australian jockey William Pike hopes he has shed his Victorian 'bridesmaid' tag after guiding the Michael Moroney-trained Top of the Range to victory in the Group 3 Bendigo Cup on Wednesday.
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Pike, nicknamed the Wizard, had enjoyed just two wins from 55 starts during his previous visits to Victoria, but bounced back in emphatic fashion with a fighting win aboard the talented six-year-old gelding.
It followed a second earlier in the day aboard the Moroney-trained Rocking Eagle in the three-year-old benchmark 64 handicap, won by the Matthew Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained Oasis Girl.
Pike produced a masterful ride after Top of the Range ($8) was held up for a run at the top of the straight, before engineering a passage along the inside to mow down the Chris Waller-trained Brimham Rocks ($6)in the shadows of the post.
A second Moroney runner Hang Man ($13) battled on for third to capa memorable day for his Flemington trainer.
Fourth in the race was the Waller-trained Captain Cook, with the favourite Sully finishing seventh, one spot ahead of the Josh Julius/Bendigo-trained Super Girl, who was gallant in her first start at Group level at the long odds of $61.
Fellow Bendigo-trained runner Single Handed finished down the field in 12th.
But all honours lied with Top of the Range, trainer Moroney and jockey Pike, who was riding at Bendigo for the first time.
"I took the back roads here, the Navman took me through the back roads and I wasn't sure where the heck I was going to end," Pike said.
"Then low and behold you come out and there is this lovely, spacious and beautiful track and a wonderful surface.
"It's a good first time to be here, having two rides for a win and a second and I walk away with a cup.
"I've been very much a bridesmaid on my visits here (to Victoria). I'm glad to get that off my back."
Pike, the 2018-19 Australian metropolitan jockeys' premiership winner, gave full credit to his mount for the win.
"He got me out of jail today. I was caught behind a wall of horses with nowhere to go and I was able to duck all the way back to the inside," he said.
"I got a little bit of luck, but there's a fair chunk of ability for the horse to be able to do it.
"I was also expecting to be in the second half (of the field) during the run, but I did think I'd have a couple more behind me than what I did."
Pike was uncertain what his cup win might bring in terms of potential Melbourne Cup carnival rides, or what the future held for Top of the Range.
Moroney indicated he would take a 'wait and see' approach to the Savabeel gelding's next run.
One plan definitely off the table is a start in the $8 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) next Tuesday, with owners opting to bypass the race
"We didn't make the next payment for the Melbourne Cup, the owners weren't keen on doing it, so we didn't," Moroney said.
"We were in it until the last payment, so they might be kicking themselves now.
"In saying that, he is still going to be around next year and he could be a Melbourne Cup runner then."
The win was Moroney's first Bendigo Cup triumph. His previous best effort was a second with Betta Wathchit in the 2001 cup won by Saboteur.
It was part of a winning double for the 50-times Group 1-winning trainer, after his victory earlier in the day of Iowa Hawkeye.
Moroney was equally thrilled with Hang Man's gutsy third in the cup.
"They are two really nice horses, both lightly-raced," he said.
"We've done the right thing giving them the time to mature as most stayers need. I think the best in front of both of them.
"I think once and for all we have worked out Hang Man doesn't get past 2200m, whereas Top of the Range is going to get two miles.
"He's only had the one crack at two miles and he ran second (in the 2019 Adelaide Cup). I think the Melbourne Cup next year might be the go."
Meanwhile, a second for Brimham Rocks looks certain to spell the end of Waller's hopes of a Melbourne Cup run with the six-year-old gelding, who needed a win and a penalty to force his way into next Tuesday's field.
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