Trainer Joe Pride saddles up Gus The Great at Warwick Farm

The Australian

a day ago

Gus The Great is headstrong, can't be told what to do and has a touch of arrogance about him.
This was how part-owner and trainer Joe Pride described the three-year-old chestnut making his debut at Warwick Farm on Wednesday before refuting suggestions the racehorse was named after the well-known NRL commentator, former player and coach, Phil 'Gus' Gould.
'My pet corgi is named Gus and the first greyhound I've ever raced, Gus The Jet, who I own with (jockey) Brenton Avdulla, won the Group 1 Vic Peters Memorial the same day Estadio Mestalla won (Listed Winter Challenge, July 5),'' Pride said.
'I'm having a bit of luck with the name so I've gone with Gus The Great with this horse.''
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Gus The Great, a $100,000 purchase at a New Zealand Ready To Run Sale last year, lines up in the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Maiden (1100m) at the Warwick Farm midweeks.
Pride, who also has another first-starter in the race, Isle of Wight, said Gus The Great showed promise with a close second in a barrier trial earlier this month.
'I like Gus The Great, he reminds me a bit of (former Group 1-winning sprinter) Tiger Tees,'' Pride said.
'You can't tell him what to do, there is a touch of arrogance about him, and a lot of good horses have an arrogance about them.
'He's trialled really well and so has Isle Of Wight. I'm happy for them both to race on Wednesday.''
With the prospect of a very heavy track on Wednesday, Pride has opted to scratch well-bred three-year-olds Attica and Lupa Capitolina from the second race on the card, the Inglis Xtra Bonus Maiden (1300m).
Godolphin's Attica is by former champion racehorse and sire Lonhro, and is the first foal out of multiple Group 2 winner Savatiano.
Lupa Capitolina, by leading sire Almanzor out of the Shamardal mare Las Brisas, is a half-sister to Pride's stable star, dual Group 1 winner Ceolwulf.
However, wet conditions won't deter Pride from starting Investment in the Asahi Super Dry Handicap (1600m) and The Replicant in the Hawaii Five Oh At Vinery Handicap (1400m).
'Those older horses, Investment and The Replicant, are fit and in-form, and they get through the going,'' he added.
Pride is also keen for stable star Ceolwulf to resume in the Group 1 $1 million Winx Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
'Ceolwulf will run, as long as the races are on,'' said Pride in anticipation of a heavy track Saturday given the forecast for rain most days this week.
'I thought Ceolwulf's last trial was every bit as good as Private Eye.''
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Ceolwulf, winner of the Epsom Handicap and King Charles III Stakes double last spring, ran second to stablemate and last start Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes winner Private Eye in a Warwick Farm barrier trial earlier this month.
Also for Saturday's Randwick meeting, Pride has entered Aberlour (1600m) and Kerguelen (1200m) for benchmark 78 races, and Cosmonova for the Group 3 Toy Show Quality (1100m).
'I might run Aberlour in the Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury on Thursday,'' Pride said.
'Kerguelen will go to Randwick as he's very good on heavy tracks, but I will probably save Cosmonova for another day if it's too wet.''
Pride revealed $12 million earner Private Eye returned to his Warwick Farm stables on Monday morning after a dominant first-up win at Caulfield last Saturday.
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'Private Eye is tough and he's done plenty of travelling so he handled the trip back from Melbourne really well,'' Pride said.
'But I'm going to sit back and wait to see what happens with the weather in Sydney this week before deciding what we do with him.
'There's the option of going back to Caulfield next week for the (Group 1) Memsie Stakes or we wait for the (Group 2) Tramway Stakes at Randwick (September 6).''
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Formal Display, the former Irish sprinter, could break new ground for leading syndicators Triple Crown when he makes his Australian debut in the Hawaii Five Oh At Vinery Handicap (1400m) at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
Triple Crown has raced many outstanding horses over the last two decades, most notably dual The Everest winner Redzel, and Group 1 winners like Mazu, Hot Snitzel and Peggy Jean, but they haven't really tapped into the international market – until now.
'We have only had one import before who didn't do much out here but Formal Display does look promising,'' Triple Crown's Chris Ward said.
'He has trialled very well and might be even sharper than we anticipated.''
Formal Display won two of his seven starts in Ireland before being purchased by Triple Crown for about $200,000 at the Tattersall's October Sale in England last year.
'He's been in and out of work a couple of times with Annabel and Rob (Archibald) but he seems to have taken well to the Aussie style of training,'' Ward said.
Formal Display led most of the way to win a Scone trial in mid-July then again showed plenty of speed before finishing a close third to Birdman in a strong Randwick trial on heavy ground about two weeks ago.
'He seems to be coming up well but he has a tricky gate and heavy track to contend with on Wednesday,'' Ward said.
'At this stage we are heading to Warwick Farm but we have taken the precaution of nominating him for Brisbane (Eagle Farm) on Saturday.''
Triple Crown also races promising three-year-old Without Peer, a debut winner at Rosehill late last season before his fast-finishing second to Ninja at the same track last Saturday.
'Without Peer has come through Saturday's run really well,'' Ward said.
'I know Ciaron (Maher, trainer) is very happy with the horse and we are looking at the Ming Dynasty Quality (Rosehill, September 13) next for him.''