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Pride's private program aimed at a Golden peak

3 minute read

It’s hard enough to train a horse to peak for one ‘grand final’ in a preparation let alone two but trainer Joe Pride has done everything in his power to give Private Eye his best chance to win Saturday’s $7.5m XXXX Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill.

PRIVATE EYE.
PRIVATE EYE. Picture: Martin King / Sportpix

A double peak was always in Pride's plan for the exciting four-year-old's spring – he started the campaign aiming at the Group 1 Epsom Handicap, which he won earlier this month, and the Eagle.

It's a double that inaugural Golden Eagle winner Kolding achieved two years ago while last year's winner Colette also came through the Epsom.

"A bit like going into the Epsom, I go in there confident because everything has gone to plan,'' Pride said.

"It calms my nerves about the whole thing because I couldn't have asked for the preparation to have gone any better.

"At this point you can only worry about things you can control, and the things we can control I feel like we have executed them very well. Now it's up to luck in running and that's going back to what I can't control."

Joe Pride took Private Eye to Canterbury races during the week to keep him stimulated, part of the process the Warwick Farm trainer has used to bring him back to a peak after rounding up the Epsom field back on October 2.

He said the hard work in terms of getting the horse fit was done leading into the first 'grand final' and he's had to walk the tightrope of ensuring Private Eye isn't too fresh.

"I'm just trying to have him at the races as cool and as calm as I can because on the fresh side he burns up a bit of nervous energy which I don't want him doing,'' he said.

"It's a matter of keeping him at his peak but you can't have him at his peak for a month. So it's tapering back off then building back up again and part of that process has been trips to the races, galloping at home, and the trial the other day.

"I've had him at the races twice now and a set of trials as well so he is very well prepared."

One of the things Pride couldn't control was the barrier draw but he said gate 17 doesn't change Private Eye's chances in the Golden Eagle.

As much as he'd like the gelding to be a push-button, tactical genius, he simply isn't as was evident in the Epsom.

At the 600m, Private Eye was last and he had to produce sizzling sectionals to win the famous spring mile and he clocked 34.28 for the final 600m (Punter's Intelligence) which was naturally easily the fastest of the race. And if he is to win it appears a similar performance will ne needed.

"He likes to do things the hard way. He seems to like giving away these head starts,'' Pride said.

"When you're watching the Epsom, Regan (Bayliss) at the 600m drags him back another spot and that's the confidence the riders seem to have in this horse to finish over the top of his opposition.

"We want some tempo on and it looks like there will be. It's a hell of a lot of money, more money than these horses will ever get to race for again you'd think. There's no Golden Eagle for them next year.

"When you get that scenario you generally see high pressure races which is exactly what Private Eye enjoys the most."

Nash Rawiller has the ride on Private Eye, $6.50 with TAB on Thursday, and win lose or draw Pride is excited about what the future will hold.

"It's been a great prep and he's going to go to the paddock an Epsom winner, and hopefully a Golden Eagle winner, an extremely promising lightly raced horse and that's something to look forward to over the next couple of seasons,'' he said.

A wide alley also stands in front of Zoushack making it back-to-back wins in the TAB Not One Day Handicap (1300m) but the trainer isn't shying away from the task.

Zoushack led all the way and held off Zing to win over 1400m at Randwick two weeks ago and rises 2.5kg.

"He's a pretty quick horse, we'll see how he goes,'' he said.

"He was good the other day, he seems like a really nice horse and I'm pleased with him.

"It'll be interesting to see what he can back his win up with, it was a good strong win and he needs to go better than that again. He seems to be capable of doing it."

Another recent acquisition is Lady Brook, who has her second run for the stable in the Agency Real Estate Handicap (1200m) and Pride is anticipating a much improved showing on her unplaced effort at Warwick Farm.

The five-year-old drops 7kg after the claim for Tyler Schiller having carried 60kg when beaten over three lengths on a wet track a couple of weeks ago.

"She was pretty unlucky to get a heavy track and rain on the day, I don't think that suited her at all,'' he said.

"I put her in this race certainly not to make up the numbers, I think she is a nice mare and she will run well."


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