Joe Pride is taking notes from a Queensland rival as he plots a spring strategy for his stable star Ceolwulf, drawing comparisons with the in-form Antino.
Pride has been watching Tony Gollan’s Antino carve out a dominant winter campaign, scoring wins in both the Hollindale Stakes (1800m) and the Doomben Cup (2000m). Those performances have boosted Antino to second favourite in early Cox Plate betting.
For Pride, Antino’s progression mirrors what he hopes to see from Ceolwulf as he matures into his five-year-old season.
“I was watching Antino this preparation and he has just found this level of consistency and I remember him when he was at the same age as Ceolwulf. He was a bit inconsistent,” Pride said.
“He’d have a good prep then a bad prep. These horses just need to fully mature and when they do, that’s when they really find a vein of form where they always run well.”
Ceolwulf stamped himself as a genuine Group 1 contender last spring with back-to-back wins in the Epsom Handicap (1600m) and the King Charles III Stakes (1600m).
Although he didn’t win in the autumn, Pride believes his performances were solid against elite company and expects further improvement going forward.
“He didn’t run any bad races in the autumn but he paid the price for having won a couple of Group Ones,” Pride said.
“There were no easy races for him. All of a sudden he was against the big boys all the time. But he is a top shelf horse.
“He is up around 530 to 540 (kilos) now so he will race heavier again this prep.
“He is coming along nicely. I haven’t got a trial date for him yet but he will resume in the Winx Stakes.”
The Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) on August 23 at Randwick is locked in as Ceolwulf’s return, with official trials at Warwick Farm scheduled for July 25.
Pride has also secured 2024 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) winner El Castello, who hasn’t run since placing fifth in the Victoria Derby (2500m).
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