Pride up for the challenge with Poison Chalice in Civic Stakes shot

Warwick Farm trainer Joe Pride loves a “project horse” and he is confident about getting recent addition Poison Chalice back into winning form. Pride will hunt a third Civic Stakes win in the past five years on Saturday at Randwick when he saddles up the former Victorian-trained gelding as well as last-start winner Cool Jakey in the listed 1400m race. Subsequent group 1-winner Headley Grange won the event last year for Pride, who also claimed it in 2022 with Taksu.

Cool Jakey, a $7 TAB hope on Thursday, will lead the charge for the stable on Saturday, which has taken on the task of resurrecting the career of six-year-old Poison Chalice ($23). He came to Pride 10 weeks ago from Victorian trainer Paul Preusker after last racing six months ago when 10th in the Ballarat Cup (2000m). Poison Chalice won five of his first 12 starts but has not saluted in his next 13, despite placings at group 3 and listed level.

Pride has been pleased with what he has seen from Poison Chalice in two trials and believed he could end the Savabeel gelding’s drought, which stretches to October 2024. Andrew Adkins rides from gate nine on Saturday. “I love these horses, a little project horse for me, a tried horse,” Pride said.

“He’s a nice horse, I think he’s trialled really well. I was happy with what he did there, especially in that second trial [when second]. “I can see him winning a race up here in Sydney, no problems at all.

“His peak runs look good enough to say he can win here in Sydney and I’ve got a little wiggle room with his benchmark where I can get it up higher, I think. “I think I’ll win a nice race with him.” The odds are against that win coming in the Civic Stakes, but Cool Jakey is expected to be in the mix after a front-running victory over 1300m at the track two weeks ago in benchmark 94 grade.

The performance surprised Pride, who gave the six-year-old a freshen-up before the race with a view to the Civic Stakes, Winter Stakes and Winter Challenge. “Just from a fitness perspective, I thought he was a touch underdone,” he said. “He had only one Polytrack trial, but he’s just a racehorse.

He’s a horse who tries his heart out every time. He ran terrific and this is the race I had in mind for him, so he should run well.” Jockey Adam Hyeronimus found the front on Cool Jakey last start from gate 10.

He is set to start from a slightly wider barrier on Saturday. “It’s a fast race and that barrier for him is neither here nor there,” Pride said. “He’ll just roll across and be on the speed.”

Bjorn Baker-trained Midnight Dynamite was second to Cool Jakey last start and was a $3.30 favourite for Saturday. Pride, meanwhile, was eyeing an upset with Big Red Tequila ($6) in the seventh, a benchmark 78 over 1000m.

The four-year-old mare was an eye-catching second to Ice Kool last start and will meet him again after trainer David Pfieffer chose to keep the exciting three-year-old in Sydney instead of testing him down the straight at Flemington. Pfieffer was keen to give Ice Kool the experience in Victoria ahead of potential spring targets but was wary of a wet track. Ice Kool was a $1.

90 favourite at Randwick and Pride was up for the challenge. “It was a massive run the other day and I don’t mind taking him on again,” he said. “I think there’s a scenario where she can beat him and there’s a lot of pressure in that race, which I think will help her.

“She’s flying and is going as good as any horse in the stables.” He was also excited about the chances of Just Glamorous ($6), with a change in tactics, in the last. The five-year-old mare has finished top four in all four runs this preparation and drops to 1400m from a last-start third over 1600m.

“I think the best way to ride her is to lead and I want to try to lead with her on Saturday,” he said. “I like horses back in trip and I’ve got the blinkers on.” Pride said Stradbroke Handicap runners Private Eye (fifth), Headley Grange (10th) and Estadio Mestalla (15th) were having a short break before coming back for the spring.

“It didn’t work out like I was hoping it would,” he said of last Saturday’s group 1 at Eagle Farm. “It was very disappointing on account of the track we got on the day,” he said. “There was rain on the day, but the last five over the line were all horses in the market who handle wet tracks, and they failed miserably.”

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