Trainer Joe Pride is gearing up to introduce his stable’s prominent spring participants all at once at Randwick, featuring four Group 1 winners, led by the outstanding weight-for-age performer Ceolwulf.
The dual King Charles III Stakes champion is slated to compete in Saturday’s Chelmsford Stakes (1600m). In another key race, Headley Grange and Private Eye are set to clash in the Tramway Stakes (1400m).
Attica, the winner of the Spring Champion Stakes, has been accepted for both the Chelmsford and the Tramway.
Headley Grange has recently achieved Group 1 status following its victory in the Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm in May. With three wins from five first-up starts, Pride expects Headley Grange to make a strong start to its campaign.
However, it faces stiff competition from stablemate Private Eye, who returns to Sydney after beginning its preparation with a solid Group 2 placing at Caulfield. Attica, who finished second to the in-form Althoff when resuming at Rosehill last month, is also a contender.
“Headley Grange goes particularly well fresh, so he’ll run very well,” Pride said.
“Attica and Private Eye have the runs under the belt. It’s a shame to clash those three horses but it’s a set weights and penalties race and it fits in well with what I’ve got in mind for them later on.”
Pride is maintaining flexibility regarding Headley Grange’s spring schedule, acknowledging that the horse’s preferred racing distances are similar to those of top mares Autumn Glow and Sheza Alibi.
Nonetheless, with seven victories recorded on rain-affected tracks, the trainer believes this could be the decisive factor for the six-year-old to compete at the highest level once more.
“Where does he fit in with all these good mares around?” Pride queried.
“He’s a very competitive horse himself, and the best version of him is when he can get on a wet track. If we can get one of those at some point of the carnival he’ll be very hard to beat.”
In its second preparation under Pride, Attica is being aimed at the Epsom Handicap. Pride was pleased with Attica’s initial run, particularly as the horse conceded seven kilograms to the winner and Althoff has since secured another win.
“He hit the big time quickly because he won a Group One at his first ‘prep’ and that makes a horse difficult to place,” Pride remarked.
“You haven’t had that chance to develop them over starts, which is what I typically do with horses. He’s been fast-tracked into running against the better horses.
“He’s a very good horse himself and I just think it will take him a prep or two to work it all out, but he’s going to be a nice, lightweight Epsom chance.”
These four major runners will be part of Pride’s seven-strong team at Randwick. Private Eye’s half-brother, King’s Secret, is also slated to represent the stable in the Concorde Stakes (1000m). Take advantage of the racing odds for the Chelmsford Stakes and other feature races.
