Latest news with #JosephPride
New Paper
12-07-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Cross-border Pride and joy
Leading Sydney trainer Joseph Pride enjoyed a good day at not one, but two offices in Australia on July 12. The 2024-25 Australian horse racing season may be drawing to an end with only around two weeks remaining, but the Warwick Farm handler was not letting up on his quest for more winners to pad up his successful campaign, even across borders. At home in Randwick, he struck a race-to-race double with two from his team of four runners - King's Secret ($22) in a Benchmark 72 handicap (1,100m) followed by Aberlour ($71) in a Benchmark 78 handicap (1,800m), both with A$160,000 (S$135,000) purses - to tie with Ciaron Maher on the Sydney metropolitan trainer's premiership on 45 winners, but still staying in fifth place on a countback for seconds. In racing, trainers never split their winners, be it in a lowly Class 1 at Wagga or a Group 1 in Flemington, and Pride is no different. However, if his geographical location on that day was anything to go by, a greater sense of "Pride and joy" must have been felt 700km away from home - Caulfield. A little less than three hours after cheering his duo home from the simulcast TV monitors at the Melbourne racecourse, and the obligatory phone chats to the owners and stable supervisor Orla Pearl, Pride was reaping the rich reward for his hit-and-run one-horse mission with consistent mare In Flight in the A$200,000 Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1,100m). Typical of airline flights, the $16 favourite was also late to take off. Three wide at the rear, the Flying Artie four-year-old must have given her punters the same fingernail-chewing moments as a passenger waiting for hours on the tarmac. But once Craig Williams throttled her up upon straightening, she finally became airborne, sprouting wings towards a soft landing with one length to spare from New York Lustre (Jamie Melham). Even for Pride, it was only when the Proven Thoroughbred black and lime green silks were over the line that he could release his pent-up nervous energy with a cathartic fist pump from his Caulfield vantage point. "I thought we would be a lot closer in the run and not tracking out so wide," he said. "That is probably what made it so awkward for her, but as soon as she straightened up and balanced up, she was good - she's a pretty good mare, this mare." The Proven colours also flew high at one half of Pride's Sydney double, King's Secret, who is the half-brother of one of Pride's and Proven's best horses, Group 1 Epsom Handicap winner Private Eye. "It's impressive. To see a mare throw horses like that again and again and to have the family in the stable. It's something special," said Pearl to Sky News, referring to their dam Confidential Queen. The mood was a lot less joyous in the Daniel Meagher camp in Caulfield, though. The former Kranji-based Australian trainer's two-time Singapore Horse of the Year Lim's Kosciuszko was soundly beaten in eighth place - his third defeat in as many starts since moving to Australia. One race earlier, Singapore Derby winner Lim's Saltoro fared even worse. After three encouraging runs at the same track, the 10-time Kranji winner put in his worst run by beating one home. In mitigation, he was eased out of the race in the home straight by jockey Jason Maskiell, who kept looking down to his left and right, as if something had gone amiss. The win by In Flight, who may be aimed at either the Oakleigh Plate or The Galaxy next year, also capped a treble for Williams, who has now whittled down the gap on the back-from-injury leader, Blake Shinn - who did not win any race - to four wins (67 versus 63). With five metropolitan meetings still left, the Shinn-Williams showdown will keep racegoers on the edge of their seats at the business end of the Melbourne season. manyan@
News.com.au
12-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Joseph Pride's progressive young sprinter King's Secret continues his hot form with an impressive win at Randwick
Private Eye's little brother King's Secret enhanced his growing reputation as an emerging star in his own right with another super sprinting performance at Royal Randwick on Saturday. The Joseph Pride -trained galloper continued his remarkable preparation when scoring his fourth victory in six starts in the Petaluma Benchmark 72 Handicap (1100m). Jockey Andrew Adkins has forged a hugely successful partnership with King's Secret throughout his preparation and produced a peach from an awkward alley to get the gelding home again. 'Joe and the team keep raising the bar and he keeps saying how high,' Adkins said. 'He is going super this preparation. He has really come to and is maturing. 'I was a bit worried going to the gates, that is the calmest he has ever been, I thought if he'd had enough or not. 'It is just him maturing and switching on and learning to the do the right things and all the basics. 'He's got the hang out if and is winning with style now.' King's Secret had been beaten two starts ago but has bounced back to his best in a big way with victories at Rosehill Gardens and Randwick at his past two. 'You have to take your hat off to Joe, he knows his horses so well,' Adkins said. 'Two back sort of went amiss, I said I don't know what's going on with him but Joe said we had him too fresh. 'They took him back home and sorted him out. Gave him a bit of work and he came back and won.' King's Secret had to give weight to his rivals with the topweight of 60.5kg but it did little to stunt his momentum. He three-wide early but Adkins was able to put himself in the perfect spot, one out and one back. King's Secret wins again! A fourth win for the preparation ðŸ'° Andrew Adkins with an early double at Randwick ðŸ'�ðŸ'� @PrideRacing @ProvenTbreds â€' 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) July 12, 2025 • Tomato Toastie triumphs in thrilling finish King's Secret ($6.50) let down powerfully from the furlong pole, holding off the Bjorn Baker -trained Stardeel ($3.90 favourite) by a half-length with Godolphin's Celerity ($6.50) close up in third. 'He puts his best foot forward and Andrew rode him brilliantly today,' Pride's stable representative Orla Pearl said. 'He knows him so well now. 'Before the race he said, 'we won't be riding the race, we'll be riding the horse' and that's exactly what he's done. 'And the horse, he is just so versatile and he has proved that.' 'It's impressive. To see a mare throw horses like that again and again and to have the family in the stable, it's something special.' King's Secret is a son of Shalaa out of Confidential Queen, which produced Private Eye. Private Eye has been a revelation for Pride and Proven Thoroughbreds throughout his career with more than $12 million in prizemoney earned. The son of Al Maher was placed in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap during the Brisbane winter carnival. The leader holds on! 🙌 Aberlour wins at double figure odds with @AlyshaCollett in the saddle for the @PrideRacing stable! â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 12, 2025 • Maher smells more success with unbeaten filly Just how high King's Secret reaches remains to be seen but Adkins, who had an earlier winner aboard Pensativa, is adamant the future is bright. 'He has carried topweight there against some good gallopers and has done a terrific job so I really don't know (what his ceiling is),' he said. 'It will be interesting to see after a spell how he develops and matures again and how he comes back, then we could probably tell.' His latest victory seals the BOBS horse the year crown for the stable and owners for consecutive years after In Flight claimed the title by winning the same race. King's Secret has banked $73,125 in bonuses this season. Pearl confirmed King's Secret will now be headed for a well-deserved spell with a fantastic record of four wins and three placings from eight starts. Pride, who was in Melbourne to watch In Flight in the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes, enjoyed a quick fire double in Sydney with Aberlour also scoring in the Toyota Forklifts Benchmark 78 Handicap (1800m). It was Pride's third Saturday metropolitan double in the past four weeks with Estadio Mestalla and Storm The Ramparts both scoring for the stable last weekend. His in-form galloper Headley Grange will attempt to qualify for the $3 million Big Dance when he contests Sunday's South Grafton Cup at Grafton.
News.com.au
09-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Jockey Jay Ford taken to hospital with head soreness following race fall at Canterbury
Group 1 jockey Jay Ford had to be taken to hospital for further assessment after suffering a head knock in a fall at Canterbury Park on Wednesday. Ford came off the Joseph Pride-trained Investment in the Brave Smash @ Yarraman Park Benchmark 64 Handicap (1550m) shortly after the 600m mark and hit the turf. He was conscious and was able to get to his feet following the incident before being attended to by paramedics on course. A decision was made to transport the seasoned hoop to hospital shortly after with Ford also suffering from left knee soreness. Ford was stood down for the remainder of the card. He has four rides on Thursday at Gosford.
South China Morning Post
13-06-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Private Eye chases history in Stradbroke Handicap
The Joseph Pride-trained galloper will look to defy a big weight and a long break at Eagle Farm on Saturday Sydney trainer Joseph Pride is undeterred by the challenges facing Private Eye when the outstanding miler tackles the Group One Stradbroke Handicap (1,400m) at Eagle Farm in Brisbane, Australia on Saturday. Assigned top weight of 57kg (125.6lb), Private Eye will resume after a 182-day break and will have to defy history as he attempts to become the first horse to carry 57kg or more to victory in the Stradbroke Handicap since Rough Habit successfully carried 58.5kg in 1992. Additionally, winning the Stradbroke Handicap first up is a rare achievement after an extended break with Crawl famously bucking the trend by triumphing in 2001 off a 56-day break. 'Records are made to be broken and I don't think first up is what it used to be,' said Pride, a former protégé of 12-time Hong Kong champion trainer John Size. 'I've also given Private Eye four barrier trials, I'm very happy with him and he won't be beaten on the score of fitness. 'His trial last Friday at Rosehill was everything I wanted to see from him. He jumped and put himself on the speed. He wanted to be there and that's the best version of Private Eye. 'He ran second in a Stradbroke three years ago [behind Alligator Blood] and I feel he's ready to run super again on Saturday.' Nash Rawiller will ride Private Eye, while Jason Collett will partner Golden Mile for James Cummings. An EPIC finish in the G1 Kingsford Smith Cup sees Joliestar nab them right on the line to take her third Group 1! 🤩@cwallerracing @mcacajamez@BrisRacingClub @RaceQLD — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025 Briefly retired to start a breeding career, Golden Mile was gelded after being injured at stud and the Group One winner returned to racing in March before catching the eye when third to Joliestar in the Group One Kingsford Smith Cup (1,300m) at Eagle Farm last Saturday. 'It'd be a great story for Golden Mile, who has come back from stud duties and he's been warming to a win,' said Cummings, who was this week announced as the newest addition to the Hong Kong training roster. 'He was excellent [last start] and he's been building up to that. 'A bit over a month ago he screamed home for third in the Victory Stakes and that had him back in the form he was 12 months ago, just prior to him going to stud.' Other leading chances in the Stradbroke Handicap are War Machine and Rise At Dawn – who are both trained by Ben, Will and JD Hayes – veteran Rothfire, who will be ridden by James McDonald, and Robusto, who is trained by Bjorn Baker. The Stradbroke Handicap is one of two races from Brisbane being simulcast for betting by the Jockey Club before Saturday's Sha Tin meeting.
