Wet track specialist to take Flight in 2025 Bob Charley AO Stakes

Joe Pride’s hunt for the right conditions for his progressive sprinter In Flight paid off with a trip to Queensland recently, but this week the Sydney weather has delivered just what he needs at home.

In Flight is set to compete in the Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday, where the track is rated a heavy 9—ideal footing for the talented mare.

“We didn’t even have to chase the wet track, it came to us,” Pride said.

“She is such a nice mare and just a really good wet tracker and she will get that again on Saturday.”

The consistent mare has collected six wins and five placings from her 16 starts, with all victories coming on rain-affected going.

Her most recent triumph was in the Listed Bright Shadow Stakes (1110m) at Doomben, where she excelled on a heavy track, showcasing her preference for soft ground.

She also filled the runner-up spot in the Hawkesbury Gold Rush (1100m) behind fellow Pride-trained runner Dragonstone, and now steps back into open company with confidence from her stable.

“She is a tough little mare,” Pride said.

“I do feel she is still on the way up. She’s got the right balance of being a tart but is still able to focus when she has to. She is a lovely horse to work with.

“She has come back really well and she will be hard to beat.”

Tanglewood has come out of the Bob Charley Stakes, leaving 14 contenders, including Front Page and Barber—both dual acceptors for the Group 2 Moreton Cup (1200m) at Eagle Farm.

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