Joe Pride will be out in force at Newcastle this Saturday, turning his attention from last weekend’s Flemington heroics to a serious tilt at the $1 million The Hunter.

The Warwick Farm trainer will saddle up a strong quartet in the 1300-metre feature, spearheaded by previous winner Coal Crusher, along with stable companions Accredited, Estadio Mestalla and Golden Mile.

The race comes just days after Ceolwulf delivered a barn-defining victory in the $3 million Group 1 Champions Mile at Flemington, and Pride says the momentum has carried into this week.

“Coal Crusher was a nice run in the Russell Balding and there’s the two horses that went really well the other day – they ran one-two at Randwick – so it’s a strong hand in what will be no doubt a competitive race,” Pride said.

Pride’s team is part of a deep list of 29 nominations which includes The Ingham winner Robusto, smart sprinter Iowna Merc, proven Group 2 performer Airman, talented import Darnation, and emerging galloper Yorkshire.

Last year’s The Hunter was won by Briasa, who used the race as a springboard to become one of the standout sprinters of the following season.

Coal Crusher has a strong record in the race, having won The Hunter in 2023 before returning to finish third in 2024. His lead-up effort this year saw him finish fourth in the $3 million Russell Balding Stakes, only 4-3/4 lengths from Jimmysstar.

Estadio Mestalla and Accredited arrive off a quinella result in the $300,000 Choisir Handicap on Melbourne Cup Day, where Estadio Mestalla lunged late to deny his stablemate.

Golden Mile, meanwhile, finished 13th in the Russell Balding Stakes and Pride hopes he can produce a turnaround.

“He’s been disappointing so far so I’m hoping he can find something, because he needs to find a couple of lengths,” Pride said.

If you’re looking to back a runner in The Hunter, compare bookies and bonuses using the Australian betting sites list.