Pride has last-start winner Coal Crusher nominated for the $200,000 Group 3 feature, and believes the conditions at Rosehill will help his Turffontein gelding handle the step-up to 1500m. The five-year-old has built up a very consistent record of seven wins and six seconds from just 17 outings, and almost $350,000 in earnings.
“More than happy to send him around, he’s done really well so more than happy to give him his opportunity,” Pride told Sky Sports Radio on Tuesday morning.
“If you’re going to run 1500m anywhere, Rosehill is probably more a sprinter’s 1500m. It’s not really a test of stamina, so I would’ve thought he’d be pretty well suited.”
His four-year-old Star Witness gelding Dehorned Unicorn returns to the races in the Benchmark 78 this Saturday after putting in some consistent performances when last in work, and Pride is of the belief he has come back even better.
“He’s trialed very well this preparation, he’s caught my eye,” Pride said.
“For such a fast horse they normally trial well, but he’s been a horse in the past that hasn’t trialed with that much speed.
“But this time around he’s really trialed like he’s ready to go to the races and do something. He’s ready to front up on Saturday and run really well.”
Kiwi import Mach Schnell is now in his second campaign for the Pride camp, and he is weighing up the decision to have two runs in the space of a week following last Saturday’s unlucky effort at Kembla Grange. The son of Zacinto was three-wide no cover the entire journey before fading to finish ninth.
“Not sure with him yet, might run him,” Pride said.
“Just a little bit to consider, he didn’t get the best of rides in his run on Saturday. Didn’t have much luck.
“Probably not a bad run to back up off, but I’ll just wait to see how he is over the next couple of days.”
Pride’s five-year-old Redwood Shadow has now put back-to-back wins together, including a fast-finishing effort at Newcastle’s The Hunter meeting ten days ago. With a raft of suitable races on the horizon, Pride has a lot to consider.
“He’s strung a couple together now. I’ve got plenty of options for him so I’ll probably accept in the morning and just have a look,” Pride said.
“There’s a 1600m coming up at Randwick, there’s a 1550m at Canterbury. There’s the Nowra Cup, I’ve got too many options it gets a bit confusing.
“So I’m just going to weigh it all up and make sure I make the right call on it.”
As to how his Shamus Award gelding Brutality has come through his recent racing at a very high level, Pride is of the opinion that there may be a race or two left in him yet this preparation.
“I’ve got him in for Saturday, but it’d be pretty unlikely to go around there,” Pride said.
“I’ll wait a week and put him into a 1400m and then back him up into the Ingham.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, Coal Crusher was an $11 chance with the TAB for this weekend’s Festival Stakes and Brutality an $8 equal second-favourite in the Ingham pre noms which takes place at Royal Randwick on December 10th.
