Sydney trainer Joe Pride is eyeing some lucrative targets with last weekend’s impressive Rosehill winner Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock).
The four-year-old gelding has returned from a Classic season which concluded with a runner-up finish in the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m), with Pride surprised by the new-found dash from the son of Tavistock.
“I wasn’t expecting a performance like that on Saturday, given last preparation he was just grinding away. He’s been sharper in his work, and I thought his trials were very sharp,” Pride told RSN.
“It was a little bit hard to get a line on his first-up run, but gelding is the making a lot of horses and I would suggest that this is going to be another case in point. Both him and Tom Kitten have come back and put together performances that they seemingly weren’t capable of last season.”
Despite acknowledging that Ceolwulf is still not the complete package, which could necessitate a shorter campaign, Pride has a big opinion of the horse.
“He might get another couple runs into this prep and not put the flag up, but it doesn’t bother me if he can’t. It will come in time, and it might be the autumn. It might still be the spring. I don’t know, but he’s a really exciting horse,” Pride said.
“I know that this horse in 12 months’ time, even six months’ time is going to be a very different looking horse.
“So, with that in mind, you know, there’s that delicate balance. How far do I push him and how much harm will I do in doing so? I want to have this horse around for a few seasons.”
Pride said he would likely proceed as planned to the Gr.3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on September 21, although the A$1 million 7 Stakes (1600m) on the same day was also in the mix.
“I’m pretty confident we’re going to go to the Kingston Town with him,” Pride said. “I’ll probably throw in a nomination for the 7 Stakes, the old George Main, but I think now that we’ve got his confidence up, putting him in another race that he is a very good winning chance in is probably the smartest thing to do with him.
“I don’t mind getting him to the 2000m and I think he’s a versatile horse where anywhere between a mile and 2000m will suit at his next start.
“If he’s able to put in another performance like he did on Saturday, maybe we can have a go at one of these nice Group Ones. The other race I’ve got in mind for him is the Hill Stakes (Gr.2, 1900m) which is on the same day as the Might And Power (Gr.1, 2000m) in Melbourne.
“The Hill Stakes is worth A$2 million and it’s a Group Two, so it’s a PVL (Peter V’landys) special and it’s a good race.”
Bred by Cambridge Stud, Ceolwulf has won two of his 11 starts but is a multiple Group One performer with A$766,650 in earnings to date.
