Carrington Stakes test looms for Accredited

Accredited has been one of the form horses of the summer period so far in Sydney with three-straight city wins since the start of December as he has progressed through the grades.

Two of those wins have been at Randwick, over 1300m and 1400m respectively, and Pride is planning to give the gelding his first opportunity at stakes level in the Carrington Stakes on January 25 over the Randwick 1400m.

Accredited won by four lengths against a small field in a benchmark-88 at his most recent start on January 4.

“You can only be impressed by what he’s been doing. He’s done really well,” Pride said.

“He’s having a good preparation, to state the obvious, and he still looks like maybe there’s a little bit of improvement in him.

“I think I’ll give him a break after the Carrington. This race should do him for this preparation.”

Pride said Accredited had come through his last-start win in really good order.

“I’m happy with him,” he said.

“The handicapper didn’t miss him, he gave him nine points so that’s 4.5 kilos. So he basically has to go up in grade again, which is fine.

“I had that Carrington Stakes in mind anyway.”

Accredited has been ridden to victory by Nash Rawiller, Chad Schofield and then Josh Parr in his past three starts and Pride said the gelding would need another jockey change for the Carrington with the trainer expecting him to be weighted on 53kg.

Pride said he would look to a potential winter campaign for Accredited, for stakes races likely below the top tier, if the gelding can step up again to win at Listed level.

“I think the Winter Carnival is definitely an option for him in Brisbane if he can win that Carrington next start,” he said.

Pride prepared a winning double at Saturday’s Wyong metropolitan meeting with Headley Grange taking out a 1300m benchmark-72 before Bullets High raced to a narrow victory in the 2100m benchmark-88.

The trainer said the Listed Australia Day Cup (2400m) at Warwick Farm on January 27 is a target for Bullets High.