Joe Pride wary of wet track for Missile Stakes favourite Private Eye
Plan A is for Pride's grand galloper to make his return in Sydney's first stakes race of the season but the prospect of a wet track has the Warwick Farm trainer treading careful heading into the weekend.
He has already made a contingency plan with Private Eye nominated for a 1000m trial on Friday morning that would see him line up in the same heat as star stablemate Ceolwulf.
Pride wouldn't have to make a decision to Friday morning to decide which way he will go and by then he will have a clearer picture on what the weather is doing this weekend.
More race-day rain has been forecast in Sydney this Saturday with Randwick already rated in the heavy range in the lead-up to the feature meeting.
'I would love to run in that Missile on Saturday, I really would and it is plan A but I am fearful of what rain is going to fall on Saturday,' Pride said.
'I will trial him if we don't run on Saturday but there is a Plan B and C for him.
'We could either go to the PB Lawrence first-up and Caulfield or wait to save him for the Winx Stakes.
'The weather is going to dictate but the latest I can leave it is Friday morning and we will work the horse on Thursday morning as usual before making a decision around 6.30 or 7am based on the weather predictions for Randwick.'
Private Eye, last seen finishing third in a Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap, is the headliner in a field of 10 acceptors for the Missile Stakes.
The two-time The Everest placegetter earning early support from punters, shortening from $3.30 into $2.60 favouritism with Nash Rawiller booked to ride.
The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained General Salute ($3.70) and Bjorn Baker's Robusto ($5.50) are both in the race while Brudenell was $9 into $7.50 in earlier betting.
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Pride isn't the only trainer reluctant to run his returning talent on a wet surface with Gary Portelli also revealing his intention to bypass the Missile Stakes with Encap ($18) if the track remains heavy.
Portelli could wait for the Group 3 $250,000 Show County Quality (1200m) in two weeks' time with his Doncaster Mile placegetter.
Meanwhile, Chris Waller is set to take a heavy-handed approach in the Premier's Cup Prelude (1800m) after accepting with eight runners, three of which landed among the emergencies.
By far the most interesting of those contenders is More Felons ($11), which hasn't raced since finishing runner-up to Kalapour in 2024 Tancred Stakes (2400m) after suffering a tendon issue.
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