As Think About It emerged during the summer, Joe Pride knew his time would come later and started to look to the future.
The Warwick Farm master horseman could have pressed on into the autumn with the winner of six of seven starts but, as always, Pride was patient and waited for the winter and a shot at the Stradbroke Handicap.
Think About It (left) is a star on the rise.Credit: Getty
The road to Queensland makes its first stop in Gosford for tomorrow’s Takeover Target Stakes, where Think About It is a $3.10 favourite. He is also a $6 top pick for the Stradbroke on the June long weekend.
″If he is going to win a Stradbroke he will be winning a Takeover Target on Saturday,″ Pride said. ″It is one of those years where [the Stradbroke] looks a nice race for a horse like him that is still on the way up because there is not that established star in it.
″He is still on his way up, so we will see where he takes us, but he is very exciting.
″He has only had the one [barrier] trial [going into the Takeover Target], but that’s what we do off the sort of break he has had because the fitness is there still.″
Pride’s confidence wasn’t dented by drawing the barrier one from the outside in the field of 13 with Think About It, which went from midweek grade to winning the Liverpool City Cup last time in.
He showed versatility in that preparation, sitting back in the field and racing behind the speed in his wins before leading all the way in the group 3, where he easily accounted for Bandersnatch, which went on to win the Doncaster Prelude and run fourth in the All Aged Stakes later in the autumn.
″It is a perfect draw for him because he will be able to get in behind them,″ Pride said. ″He has speed out there with him and I can see him just behind the leaders using his speed. So when Sam [Clipperton] needs to go, he will be able to get out and avoid the roadblocks.″
Clipperton knows what he felt in February and has been counting the days to see Think About It back at the races. He is hoping to stick with him throughout the campaign, especially if he gets his weight in the Stradbroke.
″I think he’s going to Brisbane no matter what,″ Clipperton said. ″I think this is the race he has to have to get there fitness wise.
“The Stradbroke is there for him and hopefully for me if he gets a weight I can ride him at.
“He gives me the feel of a very good horse with raw talent that’s going to continue to get better. He’s a four-year-old now, but he’s going to get better in the spring and then be better in a year’s time. He’s very serious. It’s very exciting.”
That confidence runs through the team around Think About It and Clipperton also looks at the wide draw as an advantage.
“He has drawn a bit awkward on paper, but I’m not actually that worried about it because I’ll just ride wherever he is comfortable,” Clipperton said. “He’s got speed, he can settle close enough and we know what he can do.“
