Joe Pride has been at a loss to explain the efforts of Private Eye this spring and he is no closer to figuring it out following the gelding’s inexplicable return to form in the Festival Stakes at Rosehill.
While the Group 1 winner hasn’t been racing poorly – he was beaten 1-1/2 lengths by Bella Nipotina in The Everest – he has at times shown a lack of intent, including when midfield in The Hunter (1300m) last start.
But Pride opted to persevere, and his reward finally came with Private Eye’s dominant three-length win in Saturday’s Group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.
“This is a horse that overthinks stuff,” Pride said.
“I have seen him back last in an Epsom (Handicap) scrubbed along, and I’ve seen him lead a Lightning Stakes. He keeps me guessing.
“We have been scratching our head about what to do with him. We have resorted to putting him over jumps and done a few different things so fantastic, great to see him do that again.
“He has been a marvellous horse for the stable. It is a long way from the best race he has ever won, but it’s very satisfying.”
Nash Rawiller was Private Eye’s ($9.50) regular rider last season and was reunited with him on Saturday for the first time since the autumn.
Taking the race by the throat, he settled the seven-year-old outside the lead and Private Eye sprinted quickly when asked for an effort in the straight, streeting clear to beat Robusto ($21) with Xidaki ($6) third.
Private Eye will now progress to The Ingham (1600m) at Randwick in two weeks where Rawiller will stick with him.
“I think he’ll get a lot of confidence out of that today and he will be very hard to beat over the mile in The Ingham,” Rawiller said.
“I needed him to do that today, otherwise we were on holidays. It gives me something to look forward to now.”
Apprentice Molly Bourke celebrated her first stakes success a race later with a facile victory aboard the Matthew Smith-trained Floating in the Listed ATC Cup (2000m).
The promising young rider was thrilled to be entrusted with the mount, and even moreso to break her duck.
“Very exciting. I’m so grateful for Matt and all the owners to have the faith to put an apprentice on in a race like this,” Bourke said.
“It was just amazing to even have the opportunity, let along come out and get the result for them.”
Floating will have his next start in the Christmas Cup (2400m) at Randwick on December 14.
