Pride’s stars to stay in Sydney

Private Eye won’t seek to settle the score with Imperatriz from their Lightning Stakes clash with Joe Pride opting to bypass the Newmarket Handicap and favour the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday.

It sets up a big day in Sydney for Pride, who will also have The Everest winner Think About It resume in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m), with the two Group One winners on different paths this preparation.

Private Eye will be targeted at the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m), which could set the stage for a rematch with Imperatriz, and Pride believes staying in Sydney gives him the best chance at peaking for that race.

“The race I really want to win with him is the T J, I think that’s his best track and distance, the Randwick 1200 (metres) and I think the best preparation for him to go on to the T J is to stay here and run 1000 (metres) here,” Pride told RSN 927.

“I’d like to beat her (Imperatriz) over 1200 (metres) at Randwick, I think that’d be a fair course for both horses and hopefully that happens.”

He’ll be joined by ex-Peter & Paul Snowden sprinter Mazu who makes his stable debut and will likely target The Galaxy second up, with Pride confident both horses can run well over 1000m on Saturday.

“He (Private Eye) still had plenty of speed there first up, he led them which was a bit of a surprise… the best of this horse comes when he’s ridden from behind and he’ll get that opportunity on Saturday,” Pride said.

Meanwhile, Pride’s other star and winner of The Everest, Think About It, will be on a different path, with the son of So You Think to be tested over more ground as he resumes as a short-priced favourite in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m).

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say I expect him to win because every time I send him out there I expect him to win, that’s the kind of horse he is… it doesn’t look to be a very deep race… it’s certainly not the most important race in his prep… the race I really want to win is the Doncaster but I think he’s such a good horse he’ll find a way to get it done,” Pride said.

Think About It has been allocated 57kg in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) with Pride confirming he’ll run in the Canterbury, the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) and then the Doncaster, an ambitious preparation that could determine who the best horse in Australia is.

“If he’s able to win those three races, I think you’ll be flat out getting anyone to argue with you.”