Ceolwulf back bigger and better ahead of 2025 Cox Plate campaign
Trainer Joe Pride has turned his attention to the spring carnival, buoyed by the performances of Antino, who has shown the kind of maturity Pride hopes to see in his own Group 1 winner Ceolwulf.
Antino was brilliant during the Queensland winter, posting dominant wins in the Hollindale Stakes (1800m) and Doomben Cup (2000m), elevating him to second favourite for the Cox Plate.
Pride sees a similar developmental arc for Ceolwulf, who is about to turn five and has already proven his class at the highest level.
“I was watching Antino this preparation and he has just found this level of consistency and I remember him when he was at the same age as Ceolwulf. He was a bit inconsistent,” Pride said.
“He’d have a good prep then a bad prep. These horses just need to fully mature and when they do, that’s when they really find a vein of form where they always run well.”
Ceolwulf rose to prominence with wins in the Epsom Handicap (1600m) and King Charles III Stakes (1600m) last year, but found the going tough in the autumn when consistently facing elite opposition.
“He didn’t run any bad races in the autumn but he paid the price for having won a couple of Group Ones,” Pride said.
“There were no easy races for him. All of a sudden he was against the big boys all the time. But he is a top shelf horse.
“He is up around 530 to 540 (kilos) now so he will race heavier again this prep.
“He is coming along nicely. I haven’t got a trial date for him yet but he will resume in the Winx Stakes.”
Ceolwulf’s spring campaign is set to begin in the Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 23, following the trials on July 25 at Warwick Farm.
Pride also confirmed the addition of El Castello to his stable, the 2024 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) winner, who was last seen finishing fifth in the Victoria Derby (2500m).
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