Exciting Denman two-year-old Whiskey Neat earned acclaim as the best 2YO seen in New Zealand this season when he won a New Year’s Day clash with other classy youngsters in the G3 Eclipse Stakes at Ellerslie.

The Tony Pike-trained gelding set tongues wagging when he won by 10 lengths on debut at Otaki last month and with Tuesday’s win he is the new favourite for the Karaka Million later this month.

The strapping youngster dominated from the front throughout, coasting home to beat the previously unbeaten Savabeel colt Aotea Lad and Exuberant, also by Savabeel, in a slick 1.10.66 for the 1200m.

Pike was pleased with Whiskey Neat’s debut at Ellerslie under race-day conditions and does not intend to start him again before the $1 million Karaka Million on January 26.

“He has beaten some nice two-year-olds. We’ll just keep him ticking over and maybe come back for a gallop if they open the course before that meeting,” Pike said.

Whiskey Neat (Denman x Ouja by Viscount) was bred by bloodstock agent Andrew Williams and first sold as a weanling for $72,500 at the Magic Millions National Sale at the Gold Coast.

He was secured by Koru Thoroughbreds who pinhooked him for $220,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale, purchased by Waikato Bloodstock.

The youngster is out of the winning Viscount mare Ouija, who was bred and raced by Sheikh Mohammed. Whiskey Neat is her third winner from three foals to race.

Ouija is out of Seances whose eight winners from 10 to race include the recent city winners Roosevelt and Haunted and stakes winners Sessions and Renaissance.

Whiskey Neat is among 13 stakes winners by Denman, standing for Darley in NSW.

Tony Pike landed a black type double on the Ellerslie program when another Karaka graduate Surely Sacred won the G2 Auckland Guineas (1600m).

Bought for $160,000 from Waikato Stud’s draft at the 2017 NZB Premier Sale by Raffles Racing Surely Sacred (Rock ‘n’ Pop x Not Sure by Masterclass) won on debut and was then runner-up in the G3 Bonecrusher Stakes in his two previous starts.

Pike knows Surely Sacred’s family well having prepared his relation Provocative (Zabeel) to win the G1 Queensland Oaks.

“He’s out of Provocative’s family so there’s a bit of staying blood there. Hopefully this bloke can get out to a Derby trip,” he said.

He is eligible for the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) on January 26.

Surely Sacred is the maiden stakes winner for his sire Rock ‘N’ Pop, who is also the sire of the stakes performed runners Rock ‘N’ Affair, Go Dixie and Gold Spice.