Joe Pride is hoping a kinder barrier draw can spark a turnaround in fortunes for Gatsby’s as the gelding looks to snap a long winless run.
The four-year-old claimed the 2024 The Rosebud (1100m) under Chris Waller but has been unable to add to that success despite placing at stakes level since.
After finishing midfield from a wide alley first-up for his new stable, Gatsby’s will start from gate three in Saturday’s Racing And Sports Handicap (1200m) at Randwick, a scenario Pride believes suits him far better.
“I have been really happy with him,” Pride said.
“His run was solid the other day from a bad gate. I was going to run him last Saturday, but he had another bad gate and a heavy track, so I kept him at home.”
Pride said the gelding has always shown his best when fresh and that he prefers not to dwell too much on previous form lines.
Having enjoyed success rejuvenating older horses, Pride said each new arrival is treated as a clean slate.
“Whenever I get a new horse to the stable, I look at their form, but I try not to read too much into what they’ve done in the past,” he said.
“At the end of the day, they’re in a different environment, being trained differently, fed differently, possibly even ridden differently.
“I don’t want to fall into too many traps. You just judge them off what you see and from what I can see he is coping really well so I’m happy to send him back to the races.”
Chad Schofield takes the ride on Gatsby’s, who is currently quoted at $7.50 in a competitive field.
Punters looking ahead to the Racing And Sports Handicap can review current online bookmakers before finalising their selections.
The post Pride hoping to make Gatsby’s great again first appeared on Just Horse Racing.