William Pike had a day out at Caulfield on Saturday, riding four winners and in the process broke his Victorian Group One duck.
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The "Wizard from the West" has been based in Bendigo for the past six weeks and he's threatened to win several big races, but has just fallen short.
It all came together on Saturday as Pike won the Group One Caulfield Stakes, the Group One Caulfield Guineas, Group Two Schillaci Stakes and Listed Weekend Hussler Stakes.
The maiden Group One win in the Caulfield Stakes was the sweetest of the four as Pike and WA mare Arcadia Queen ran down odds-on favourite Russian Camelot.
Trained by Grant and Alana Williams, Arcadia Queen has been based at Brent Stanley's Sutton Grange stables for her spring campaign.
"Today, she just travelled a little bit strong but coming into the bend and I was actually still travelling and sucked in behind Russian Camelot, I kind of got my hopes up a little,'' Pike said.
"I knew my only chance was to try and catch him in the last 200 (metres). There was no point trying to match motors with him. So that's what I did, I sat there and bided my time. Things panned out quite well for me even though we did sprint quite hard around the bend, yet again, I still got a nice run.
"I shook her up a little bit and she got back on the bridle. She cruised to the line."
Pike backed that up with another great ride to get Ole Kirk over the line in the Caulfield Guineas.
The team Hawkes-trained colt further enhanced his stallion prospects with a strong finish to overrun a gallant Aysar.
"My first ever sit on him. I was so grateful for the support. We had to zig and zag a little bit, but pretty happy we got the job done," Pike said.
Pike also combined with the Hawkes' to win the Schillaci Stakes aboard Dirty Work, while his first winner of the day was the in-form WA galloper Windstorm for the Williams' in the Weekend Hussler Stakes.
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