Rudyard gets dramatic victory at Pukekohe

[Wandering Eyes]

Progressive galloper Rudyard (NZ) (Charm Spirit) has another victory to add to the win column in his career record after a dramatic finish to the feature race at Pukekohe on Saturday, the Dunstan Horsefeeds 1300 (1300m).

The Tony Pike-prepared four-year-old went to the winning post locked together with the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Uderzo (NZ) (Vadamos) with the judge unable to separate the pair, declaring a dead-heat for first with Devastate just a long neck away in third.

However, the protest siren sounded due to Uderzo dictating the running line of both Rudyard and Devastate in the final 200m by boring in on the pair.

The Adjudicative committee viewed all angles of the finish and after considering submissions they upheld the protest providing Rudyard with a solo victory.

Pike was in Sydney with promising three-year-old Witz End and although he was busy during the day he managed to watch the action from Pukekohe at the Randwick course.

“It was a bit hectic over here, but I did manage to watch most of our runners on television,” Pike said.

“He (Rudyard) seems to have gone to a new level, and although we were dropping him back to 1300m, the pace on suited and he did it well despite copping plenty of interference.

“We needed to win today to get him into the Easter Handicap (Gr.3, 1600m) in a fortnight and stepping back to 1600m with a light weight will suit him down to the ground.”

Purchased by Pike for $280,000 from the Windsor Park draft during Book 1 at Karaka in 2021, Rudyard has now won six of his 21 starts and over $300,000 for a large group of connections.

He is out of outstanding racemare Lady Kipling who won eleven races, with three of those at stakes level, while she was also Group One placed on four separate occasions.

Pike also wasn’t disappointed with the performance of Witz End (NZ) (Savabeel) who finished towards the rear in the Gr.3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Randwick in the hands of James McDonald.

“It has been a good experience for the horse but the minute we got the rain yesterday and this morning our chances went out the window as he is a duffer on wet ground,” Pike said.

“What was very heartening was James coming back in and telling me not to be disappointed as he believes the horse has huge potential and just needs good ground and another six months development on him.”

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