New Zealand, October 3 – Brilliant I Am Invincible colt Vinnie Eagle turned his form around in style at Te Rapa on Friday with a performance that posed another burning question.
He had enjoyed a dashing domestic juvenile campaign when unbeaten in two appearances, but could beat only one runner home at Taupo in his three-year-old debut last month.
Vinnie Eagle’s trainer Tony Pike breathed a major sigh of relief at Te Rapa where the son of I Am Invincible was back to his brilliant best with a dominant victory in the Waikato Farmers’ Markets 1200.
“We all know how good he is and we ran him at Taupo to try and get to the Hawke’s Bay Guineas,” Pike said.
“He was disappointing fresh-up, but it was the wrong race on the wrong track and we didn’t have any other options.
“He never handled the shifty going at Taupo and it’s great to have him back.”
Pike now has a decision to make as to whether Vinnie Eagle (pictured Trish Dunnell) is purely a sprinting colt or if the Group I Sothys NZ 2000 Guineas is a realistic target.
“We’ve got to sit down and have a good think about that,” he said. “There’s the Sarten and then down to Christchurch or we can keep him to 1200 metres – whatever we decide it’s just nice to have him back.”
Vinnie Eagle was tardily away at Te Rapa before showing his pace to get to the front and he was clear the top of the straight.
