Western Empire has returned as a winner, taking out the Group 3 Belmont Sprint in his first start following a five month layoff.
The Grant and Alana Willimas trained eight-year-old, who was twice placed in Group 1 company over the summer … in the Railway Stakes over 1600m and the Northerly Stakes over 1800m … was marked up as the $2.25 favourite over the 1400m trip and he duly saluted under another powerful ride by Willie Pike, although it was touch and go for a while there as to whether he was going to be able to reel in the game Rope Them In ($7.50).
Rope Then In jumped into an immediate lead at the break, but Paul Harvey then allowed Hobe West ($51) and West Star ($13) to take over the running with Rope Them In then easing back (which did cause a bit o scrimmaging behind him) and resetting his challenge in third spot along the rail, with the $2.60 second favourite Smooth Chino racing just to his outside. At that stage Sentimental Hero ($61) was racing on the outside of Smooth Chino, making a line of three.
While Rope Them In and Smooth Chino were tracking the two leaders, they themselves were being tracked by Western Empire, racing a little over a length behind them in fifth place, with Pike having his mount follow the two runners most likely to take him into the race.
Pike switched Western Empire out wider approaching the home turn, ensuring that the Williams trained runner would straighten with a clear run to the line, so he was already perfectly placed to challenge when first Smooth Chino and then Rope Them In switched out around the heels of the two early leaders and set sail for home.
Rope Them In was strong early in the straight, getting the better of Smooth Chino who, to his credit, tried to cling on … and the Steve Wolfe trained gelding stayed strong throughout but, Pike had asked Western Empire for a serious effort coming with 250m left to run and he was starting to close ground.
With 200m left to run Western Empire still had just under two lengths to make up on Rope Them In and, although Western Empire kept bringing that margin down, it wasn’t clear until the last two strides of the race whether the post would arrive in time for Rope Them In to claim the victory.
In those final two strides though, Western Empire went past Rope Them In to score by 0.44 lengths.
“It was a scrappy sort of race in the early stages,” commented Pike. “The pace shot across and got their positions real quick and easy and then put the handbrake on.
“I was happy to sort of bide my time. I was happy to stay out of that … get into the clear. I felt like I was going to win, but Rope Them In is a good horse. It is hard to pass him.
“I dare say he (Western Empire) takes a bit on management these days … but, look, he’s evergreen. He keeps turning up and he is still making me look good, so we’re happy.’
This was Willie Pike’s fourth win in the Belmont Sprint and the victory took Western Empire’s race record to an impressive twelve wins and ten places from thirty-six starts with $3 568 650 banked in prize-money.
