William Pike backing Bob Peters to return as a dominant force in WA

Ahead of his bid to win a sixth Group 1 Railway Stakes, William Pike opens up on the racing dynamic in Perth where big-time owner Bob Peters is no longer dominating like he once was.

Willie Pike is striving to win his sixth Group 1 Railway Stakes and his fifth in the last six years. Picture: Getty Images

For many years, William Pike and Bob Peters went together like fish and chips, bread and butter and shoes and socks.

Almost every time you looked at a Perth race, wizard of the west jockey Pike was winning in the striking cerise and white colours of legendary owner/breeder Peters.

But Peters doesn’t have the dominant presence winning races he once did.

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He famously split with trainers Grant and Alana Williams, sent some of his horses to Victoria and currently doesn’t have the impact he most often did with his racing stock.

Pike has kept on riding winners – he is the length of the straight ahead in the Perth jockeys’ premiership this season after choosing to base himself at home again after some time testing the waters in Sydney.

But, as Pike prepares to try to win his sixth Group 1 Railway Stakes and his fifth in sixth years, he quickly dismisses any suggestions that it’s been good for him getting outside the Peters’ bubble when riding winners.

“Everyone who says ‘that’s good, you are proving yourself without Bob’, I say ‘stuff that’, Pike said.

“I want Bob there, I know where the good horses are then.

“The support I am getting from everyone in Perth has still been really great.

“The difference with Bob Peters not firing as strongly as he was for all those years, is I don’t know where my next good horse is going to be.

“Finding the next horse to win a big race is really hard right now.”

Bob Peters doesn’t currently have the same dominance in Perth that he did for a long time. Picture: AAP

Pike will be attempting to win his sixth Group 1 Railway Stakes – and his fifth in six years – when he is legged aboard Grant and Alana Williams-trained equal favourite ($4.60) Alsephina on Saturday.

All of Pike’s five Railway wins have come for Team Williams – but there is now a stark difference after Peters split with them and they had a stable rebuild.

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“Bob Peters will kick back,” Pike insisted.

“I don't think there’s an entire changing of the guard, but as with all things, it just takes a few years for the process to play out.

“When he did a changeover of trainers, quite a few of his good horses went east and a few other things happened.”

Willie Pike with Bob and Sandra Peters after riding Arcadia Queen to victory in the Kingston Town Classic in 2018. Picture: AAP

Pike still believes he is in pole position to claim the Railway again.

Alsephina may not have won this preparation, but the five-year-old mare has finished runner-up twice and both runs have impressed Pike.

Importantly, Pike says, Grant and Alana Williams know how to peak their horses for the Railway and Alsephina gets in with a lovely weight (53kg).

In the last nine years, the Railway has not been won by any horse who has carried more than 53.5kg.

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“I think Alsephina is the real deal, and you know because she is trained by Grant and Alana who know how to win this race, she will be peaking on the day,” Pike said.

“There was a deliberate plan to make sure she got to this race on the minimum (weight).

“There has been a pretty strong formula that low weights generally go best in the race.

“She has picked her way through the grades really well and she was carrying the flag for the stable while they were rebuilding.

“With WA racing you don't know if you are a good horse until you go in these sort races, we don't get to spar against the big boys (from the eastern seaboard) too often.”

Willie Pike is confident his Railway Stakes ride Alsephina will be peaking on the day. Picture: Getty Images

With a heatwave striking Perth this week, Pike has downplayed the scorching temperatures being a potential ace up the sleeve of the local Perth horses.

He hopes the Ascot track plays fairly on Saturday.

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“The track is going to be interesting,” Pike said.

“I'm normally not a jockey to complain about (track) patterns too often, but there has definitely been patterns in the track this year.

“You’ve either needed to be in the first four in the run to win – or you can’t be in the first four and win.

“It’s often played to one extreme or the other.”

Pike also has a sparkling hope in the Group 2 WA Guineas (1600m) where he rides $2.90 equal favourite Keshi Boom, the three-year-old filly who is unbeaten in four starts.

“She is only a little filly, but she has a great can-do attitude,” Pike said.

“The whole way along, she had a stablemate that we thought was better (Written Melody).

“But the stablemate has gone to the paddock and this filly is still here punching away.”

The Railway Stakes card has been pushed back due to the heatwave, with 39 degree temperatures now forecast on Saturday.

The Railway will be raced at 6.09pm Perth time, which is 9.09pm in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT, and 8.09pm in Queensland.

Originally published as William Pike backing Bob Peters to return as a dominant force in WA