6 days ago
Ceolwulf gears up for Winx Stakes
SYDNEY Trainer Joseph Pride has been heartened by the performances of a horse from a rival yard this season as he begins to plot a Spring Carnival path for stable flag bearer Ceolwulf.
The Warwick Farm conditioner watched with interest as Antino thumped his rivals in the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1,800m) and the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2,000m) over the Queensland winter, the efforts elevating the Tony Gollan-trained galloper to the second line of early Cox Plate markets behind the 2024 Cox Plate winner, Via Sistina.
This year, the prestigious Group 1 event run over 2,040m will be held at Moonee Valley on Oct 25.
While Antino, a five-time Group winner, has always shown talent, it has been as a five and six-year-old that the son of Redwood has found his groove, and Pride believes Ceolwulf is on a similar trajectory.
"I was watching Antino this preparation, and he has just found this level of consistency. I remember him when he was at the same age as Ceolwulf, he was a bit inconsistent," said Pride.
"He'd have a good prep, then a bad prep. These horses just need to fully mature and when they do, that's when they really find a vein of form where they always run well."
Antino is two years the senior of the four-year-old Ceolwulf, and Pride can see Ceolwulf following a similar path that Antino took.
Ceolwulf stamped himself as a top talent when he claimed the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1,600m) on Oct 5, 2024 and the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1,600m) at his next start a fortnight later.
Both times, he was ridden by Sydney-based British jockey and regular partner Chad Schofield.
But while the son of Tavistock was competitive in several major races, he could not add to his Group 1 tally.
After his back-to-back Group 1 victories in spring, Ceolwulf ran in five more races - three Group 1 and two Group 2 events.
While he ran third to Gringotts in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1,500m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 22, he managed only fifth in two other Group 1 races, including his last start in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2,000m) at Randwick on April 12, which was taken out by Chris Waller's star Via Sistina.
Ceolwulf's last win came two starts ago in the Group 2 Neville Sellwood Stakes (2,000m) at Rosehill Gardens on April 1.
Pride expects that to change over the coming seasons as Ceolwulf continues to develop and mature.
"He didn't run any bad races in the autumn, but he paid the price for having won a couple of Group Ones," he said.
"There were no easy races for him. All of a sudden, he was up against the big boys all the time, but he is a top-shelf horse.
"He is up around 530 to 540 (kilos) now, so he will race heavier again this prep.
"He is coming along nicely. I haven't got a trial date for him yet but he will resume in the Winx Stakes."
The first of the Group trials will be held at Warwick Farm on July 25, and the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1,400m) run at Randwick on Aug 23 will kick off the Sydney's Spring Racing Carnival this year.
Pride also confirmed this week that he had picked up 2024 Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2,000m) winner El Castello - previously trained by Anthony Cummings - who has not raced since finishing fifth in the 2024 Victorian Derby (2,500m) at Flemington on Nov 2. SKY RACING WORLD
