Joe Pride has flagged an interest in setting Summer Cup favourite Stockman on a Sydney Cup course as he rekindles the Private Eye connection for the feature race at Royal Randwick on Boxing Day.
Stayer Stockman will have the last run of his campaign in the Summer Cup.Credit:Getty
The astute trainer will use the group 3 feature over 2000m to test a theory that the emerging stayer will be suited by the Sydney Cup during The Championships.
Stockman was a $3.50 favourite for the Summer Cup on Thursday for what will be the final run of a late-spring and summer preparation. He has rattled home in the Festival Stakes and Villiers Stakes at his past two runs and has done enough to convince Pride he is worthy of a shot in group 1 company during the autumn carnival.
“This will definitely be it and we’re going to head to the paddock – only for a few weeks, because I’d really like to get him into a Sydney Cup,” Pride said. “Along the way, I’ll decide if he can run the two miles. I suspect he will.
“He’s won at a mile-and-a-half, so I don’t think it will be a bridge too far for him. It’s a $2 million race, so it’s hard not to aim up at that with him.
“I love him as a horse to train and a horse to take to the races. He doesn’t always win, but he never stops trying. He finds a really nice race there on Sunday and, if he can run up to his best and get an even share of luck, I think he can win.”
‘I love him as a horse to train and a horse to take to the races. He doesn’t always win, but he never stops trying.’
Joe Pride
The Villiers Stakes form will be put to the test in the Summer Cup through Criaderas (third), Stockman (fourth), Attorney (10th), Order Again (11th) and Fun Fact (12th). They will tangle with ATC Cup heroine Polly Grey, who will have to shoulder 59kg on a drier surface.
There is the forecast of potential rain throughout the day on Boxing Day, which would help Polly Grey and wouldn’t hinder the chances of Stockman, who has five of his six wins on rain-affected surfaces.
Pride looking for Christmas cheer with Sydney Cup prospect Stockman
Source: Philippines Alive
