The Doncaster Mile is the autumn carnival mission for Private Eye, but trainer Joe Pride is warming to his George Ryder Stakes prospects thanks to a low barrier draw.
A backmarker with a booming finish, Private Eye has been showing surprising speed out of the gates, but from awkward alleys, he has had to be snagged back to near-last to avoid being trapped wide.
From an inside draw in Saturday’s George Ryder Stakes (1500m), Pride is hoping the horse can settle just worse than midfield and within striking range.
“I have been waiting for him to draw a half decent barrier and he has finally done that,” Pride said.
“The Doncaster is our race this preparation, but I think he can run us a cheeky race on Saturday.
“He’s a good horse, Private Eye. I don’t need to sing his praises, his record tells you that. He’s eight from 16 and he has been in the top grade now for 12 months.”
Stablemate Ballistic Lover will be out to prove her Group 1 credentials when she lines up in an open edition of the Galaxy (1100m).
The Oakleigh Plate was originally slated for her first-up run but Pride changed course after she disappointed him in a lead-up trial.
“I didn’t want to drag her interstate to run in an Oakleigh Plate if she wasn’t ready and I’m pleased I didn’t. Her trial the other day was much better,” Pride said.
“Now with another trial under her belt, a track and distance she has won at, I’m pretty comfortable going in there on Saturday she will be able to do her best.”
A stakes winner in the spring, Ballistic Lover’s only previous start at the top level yielded an encouraging fourth to Wild Ruler in the Moir Stakes when she was beaten just over two lengths.
Pride figures that form is a good pointer to her chances at Rosehill in a Galaxy bereft of a benchmark sprinter.
“I don’t think she is too far away from them, and this Galaxy is missing the top sprinters going around,” he said.
“There is no Eduardo, no Nature Strip, no Masked Crusader, no Home Affairs.”