Pride confident Attica can strike in Randwick Guineas
Trainer Joe Pride argues that opening odds have misjudged the field, viewing the Randwick Guineas as primarily a contest featuring his Group One scorer Attica against Autumn Boy, the Caulfield Guineas champion.
In their first outing of the campaign, the pair produced matching runs during the Hobartville Stakes (1400m), tracking at the tail before Autumn Boy charged externally to claim runner-up spot to Ninja, as Attica motored through the rail for fourth.
Yet, with Attica allocated the outer post in Wednesday's barrier draw, bookies lengthened the Godolphin colt to $10, holding steady with Chris Waller’s Autumn Boy as the $2.50 top pick, edging Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman’s Sheza Alibi at $2.60.
"I can't line Peter Moody's filly up, and that's not to say she's not a chance. I'm just struggling to line her up," Pride said.
"But I would have thought Autumn Boy or Attica will be winning the Randwick Guineas.
"I think my boy will, but I'm not going to take Chris' horse for granted because he is a good colt."
The Godolphin colt Attica boasts credentials at Randwick's mile, having secured the Dulcify Stakes over the same course and distance en route to victory in the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m).
Throughout the preparation, Pride has been impressed with the Godolphin colt, emphasizing that an unbroken, progressive path is crucial to clinching elite-level races.
"It has all gone exactly to the script I have wanted it to, and generally when you look back and you've won a Group One, you look back at the preparation and go, 'well it just all went to plan, didn't it,'" Pride said.
"We're not there yet, but that's the way it has felt this preparation.
"Every step of the way he has met the markers I have wanted him to be at, and that makes his job easier because it's uninterrupted."
Pride would have preferred a more favorable barrier, but Attica meets only eight foes in the Randwick Guineas (1600m), while Sheza Alibi and Autumn Boy fill gates two and three side by side.
Visit top online bookmakers to find racing odds for the Randwick Guineas.
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