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Private Eye lands Queensland Guineas

The Joe Pride-trained Private Eye (3 g ex Confidential Queen by Shamardal) showed his class when he took out the Queensland Guineas (Gr 2, 1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday and became stakes winner number 36 for his Stockwell Thoroughbreds-based sire Al Maher (Danehill). 

Last seen finishing second in the South Pacific Classic (Listed, 1400m) on April 17, the three-year-old gelding looked beaten, with Brenton Avdulla already animated on the gelding before the turn. However, Private Eye responded well to his jockey's urgings, surging to the lead to beat Apache Chase (Better Than Ready) by three-quarters of a length. Kukeracha (Night Of Thunder) was a further half a length away in third. 

Pride said he was considering running the gelding the Stradbroke Handicap (Gr 1, 1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 12, while longer term he believes the $7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill in November would be the ideal race for the three-year-old. 

This is kind of the way he races, his pattern is to come under pressure and then continue to chase,” Pride said. “This horse has got a really good future, he is lightly raced and he goes well on wet or dry.

“I’m not going to say the world is his oyster but he has plenty of options going forward.

“I haven’t ruled the Stradbroke out at all, if I could get him there. I’ve got it in my mind, but because I would have to win something to get him in the Stradbroke and bring him back, I’m just not too sure.

“I certainly think he would be a good type for the Golden Eagle.”

The gelding was purchased by his trainer and Proven Thoroughbreds for $62,500 at the Magic Million Adelaide Yearling Sale from the Ambergate Farm draft in 2019 and he is the second winner out of unplaced Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) mare Confidential Queen. 

Confidential Queen herself is a daughter of Listed winner Snippets’ Lass and she is famed for being the dam of Group 1 winner and champion Arrowfield Stud-based sire Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) and Group 3-winning ill-fated Yarraman Park-based sire Hinchinbrook (Fastnet Rock). 

Snippets’ Lass is also the dam of Group 3 scorer Viennese (Redoute’s Choice) - the grandam of this year’s Blue Diamond Prelude (f) (Gr 2, 1100m) winner Arcaded (Street Boss). 

Al Maher’s stakes winners are headed by Group 1-winning quartet Delicacy, Almalad, Fat Al and Diamond Drille.