By Craig Kerry
Warwick Farm trainer Joe Pride is not interested in protecting the record of stable star Ceolwulf, or himself from social media critics, by shying away from the challenge of a stacked Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick on Saturday.
A leg abrasion prompted Pride to scratch Ceolwulf last Saturday from another clash with star mares Via Sistina and Fangirl in the 1600m Verry Elleegant Stakes, after he finished fourth behind them in their first-up meeting in the 1400m Apollo Stakes.
Ceolwulf wins the Epsom at Randwick in October.Credit: Getty Images
Pride hopes to get the four-year-old gelding’s campaign back on track with a fallback run at 1300m on Saturday before the 1500m George Ryder Stakes in two weeks.
He noted midweek, though, that the decision to drop back in distance second up had caused a stir.
“I see I’ve copped some criticism on social media for placing him,” Pride said. “I don’t think people understand what goes into training a racehorse, but sometimes you’ve got to go to plan B, and that’s what we’re doing here.
“But I’m very happy with the horse, and I’m looking forward to seeing him race on Saturday. But he’s racing to get to his peak and this will have him ready for the Ryder.
“I could have trialled him and gone straight to the Ryder, but I think race day for this horse is much more beneficial than a trial day. I’m not here to protect his record; he’s a racehorse and he’s got a chance.
“He could have a barrier trial or run around on Saturday for $750,000, so what would you do? Keep the peanuts on social media happy or run around for some money?”
The Epsom Handicap and King Charles III Stakes winner over a mile in the spring, Ceolwulf has gate one for the Canterbury Stakes and Adam Hyeronimus aboard, after regular rider Chad Schofield was booked early for the resuming Sunshine In Paris.
Pride hopes the inside gate and the prospect of showers can bring Ceolwulf, which has firmed with Sportsbet to $8, into the picture against class rivals Magic Time ($4.60), Switzerland ($4.80) Sunshine In Paris ($7), Here To Shock ($7) and Stefi Magnetica ($8).
“It’s a great race; the race of the carnival so far,” Pride said. “It probably wasn’t a day where I was obsessed with barriers for him, but it certainly won’t hurt his chances.
“Where is he going to end up from there? Maybe midfield, and if the track is wet, it’s to his advantage, but this wasn’t a planned race.
“He’s been kept fresh, he’s had a setback, but he hasn’t missed any work, and he had a gallop here [Wednesday morning], and I was really happy with him.”
Pride said the plan for Ceolwulf was “not set in stone”, but the George Ryder was likely to be next, followed by the Doncaster Mile or Neville Sellwood Stakes.
“We are still on the pathway to the Queen Elizabeth,” he said.
Pride also has Mazu and Dragonstone in the group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m). Mazu led then faded to finish sixth in the Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington first up, while Dragonstone resumes off two trials.
“It was one of those funny days where you can throw the form out the window,” Pride said of Mazu’s effort.
“We had a downgraded track, which is fine for him, but he ran into a massive headwind and everything that raced without cover that day down the straight was getting overtaken, so I think it’s a very forgivable run.
“Dragonstone is an honest horse as well. He’s been set more for the Galaxy, but he’ll still run well.”
The stable has Cosmonova ($21), The Black Cloud ($18) and Lekvarte ($61) in the Wenona Girl Quality.
“The two proven mares disappointed me the other day, but they go to a group race at peak fitness and ready to do something,” he said. “Lekvarte is just building up to go over more ground.”
Freedman buoyed by Inkaruna and Tentyris preparations
Anthony Freedman suspects, and hopes, in what seems an even year of two-year-old talent, that his well-performed Melbourne pair will measure up to the Sydney crop in key group 2 1200m Golden Slipper lead-ups on Saturday at Randwick.
Freedman and co-trainer and son, Sam, have Inkaruna in the Reisling Stakes for fillies and Tentyris in the Todman for colts and geldings. Both have won at stakes level in Melbourne and are racing in Sydney for the first time in the Slipper qualifiers.
Tentyris, on the outside, finishes a close second to Devil Night in the Blue Diamond Stakes.Credit: Getty Images
Tentyris flashed home with an inside run to go down narrowly to Devil Night in the group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 22. Before that, he was the dead-heat winner of the listed Talindert Stakes at Flemington (1100m). On debut, he was fifth in the group 3 Chairman’s Stakes at Sandown (1000m) when Inkaruna stormed to victory.
Anthony, who oversees the stable’s Randwick team, said Godolphin-owned Tentyris, an $8.50 Sportsbet chance for Saturday, was on track after a hit-out with Nash Rawiller aboard this week.
“He’s been in Sydney for about 10 days,” he said.
“He’s settled in well, and he worked nicely on Tuesday.
“It will be a good test for the Blue Diamond form, to see how it measures up with the good Sydney two-year-olds. I think it’s a very even year, which probably suggests there may not be a lot of difference between Sydney and Melbourne, but certainly tomorrow is a good test for him. They are probably the best two-year-old colts in Sydney, so tomorrow will answer a lot of questions.”
The only negative for Tentyris was the draw in gate 11 of 12. However, the field is set to drop away with some likely to run in Canberra’s Black Opal Stakes on Sunday.
Unlike Tentyris, Inkaruna is not nominated for the $5 million Golden Slipper on March 22. Freedman said the Kia Ora Stud filly, a $4.80 hope on Saturday with Tommy Berry to ride from gate seven, was headed for other targets, but a late nomination for the Slipper would be considered if she won.
She has raced just once, for an impressive win on February 1, and trialled at Rosehill on February 18 when third. She was set to run in the group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes last week at Randwick but was scratched because of a wide gate.
“Fortunately, she’s drawn much better,” Freedman said.
“Probably the extra week hasn’t done her any harm, and we are happy with her going in. I think she’ll be competitive.
“She’s a filly who is quite naturally in a good, fit condition, so she hasn’t needed a lot and the trial just topped her off nicely.
“I think realistically we are probably looking at here and then maybe the Percy Sykes, or something similar.”
