Pride turning the screws on G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes bound Ceolwulf

Joe Pride has carefully mapped out Ceolwulf's campaign, with the Neville Sellwood Stakes forming a crucial step in his preparation for a bigger target.

Pride has set his sights on the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m), and he believes Saturday's Rosehill outing is the ideal way to get there.

“This just looked like the obvious race,” Pride said.

“The Doncaster (Mile) was also on the cards but the only trouble with the Doncaster is it would mean him backing up into the Queen Elizabeth.

“The decision that I’ve had to make is, what race do we think we’re the best chance of winning? And I’ve come up with the Queen Elizabeth. To do that, giving him two weeks into it is the smart play.”

A minor setback altered Ceolwulf's initial plan when a leg abrasion ruled him out of the Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m), forcing a shift in approach.

That change saw him drop back to 1300m for the Canterbury Stakes, where he finished a respectable fifth, before a strong third-place finish behind Gringotts and Fangirl in last week's George Ryder Stakes (1600m).

“Because we missed a run, I was left backtracking a little bit and having to give him a (Canterbury Stakes) run that didn’t really matter, but that he had to have,” Pride said.

“After last Saturday, I think the horse is very much back on track.”

Pride will also saddle up three sprinters in the Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m), with Mazu, Coal Crusher, and Dragonstone all set to compete.

Each of them has performed at Group level, but after scratching Mazu from The Galaxy last week, Pride sees him as his leading contender.

“I would think it is Mazu’s best opportunity this preparation,” Pride said.

“Coal Crusher is probably still a run away.

“You could say Dragonstone was disappointing last week (in The Galaxy) but he drew a bad barrier on a hard track. He’s got a soft draw this week, probably a wet track and he is a good back-up horse.”

With key races ahead, Pride is confident that both Ceolwulf and his sprinting trio are in strong form at the right time.