Ceolwulf gears up for Winx Stakes
The Warwick Farm conditioner watched with interest as Antino thumped his rivals in the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1,800m) and the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2,000m) over the Queensland winter, the efforts elevating the Tony Gollan-trained galloper to the second line of early Cox Plate markets behind the 2024 Cox Plate winner, Via Sistina.
This year, the prestigious Group 1 event run over 2,040m will be held at Moonee Valley on Oct 25.
While Antino, a five-time Group winner, has always shown talent, it has been as a five and six-year-old that the son of Redwood has found his groove, and Pride believes Ceolwulf is on a similar trajectory.
"I was watching Antino this preparation, and he has just found this level of consistency. I remember him when he was at the same age as Ceolwulf, he was a bit inconsistent," said Pride.
"He'd have a good prep, then a bad prep. These horses just need to fully mature and when they do, that's when they really find a vein of form where they always run well."
Antino is two years the senior of the four-year-old Ceolwulf, and Pride can see Ceolwulf following a similar path that Antino took.
Ceolwulf stamped himself as a top talent when he claimed the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1,600m) on Oct 5, 2024 and the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1,600m) at his next start a fortnight later.
Both times, he was ridden by Sydney-based British jockey and regular partner Chad Schofield.
But while the son of Tavistock was competitive in several major races, he could not add to his Group 1 tally.
After his back-to-back Group 1 victories in spring, Ceolwulf ran in five more races - three Group 1 and two Group 2 events.
While he ran third to Gringotts in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1,500m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 22, he managed only fifth in two other Group 1 races, including his last start in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2,000m) at Randwick on April 12, which was taken out by Chris Waller's star Via Sistina.
Ceolwulf's last win came two starts ago in the Group 2 Neville Sellwood Stakes (2,000m) at Rosehill Gardens on April 1.
Pride expects that to change over the coming seasons as Ceolwulf continues to develop and mature.
"He didn't run any bad races in the autumn, but he paid the price for having won a couple of Group Ones," he said.
"There were no easy races for him. All of a sudden, he was up against the big boys all the time, but he is a top-shelf horse.
"He is up around 530 to 540 (kilos) now, so he will race heavier again this prep.
"He is coming along nicely. I haven't got a trial date for him yet but he will resume in the Winx Stakes."
The first of the Group trials will be held at Warwick Farm on July 25, and the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1,400m) run at Randwick on Aug 23 will kick off the Sydney's Spring Racing Carnival this year.
Pride also confirmed this week that he had picked up 2024 Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2,000m) winner El Castello - previously trained by Anthony Cummings - who has not raced since finishing fifth in the 2024 Victorian Derby (2,500m) at Flemington on Nov 2. SKY RACING WORLD
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Paper
8 hours ago
- New Paper
Ong, See break Group 1 duck
Trainer Jason Ong and jockey Troy See brought up the biggest win in their careers after the in-form Filial Dragon drew clear to claim the RM150,000 (S$45,000) Group 1 Perak Gold Vase (1,100m) at Ipoh on July 13. Ong, who is away in Australia, has finally added a Group 1 win to his glowing achievements since he began training in Singapore six years ago. The 37-year-old Singaporean handler topped Kranji's trainers' log in 2023 and 2024 with 66 wins and 79 wins respectively, before relocating to Selangor after Kranji's closure in October 2024. He has proven his chops with mostly bread-and-butter gallopers, but his runners has not come close in Group races in Malaysia, until Filial Dragon's triumph in the Perak Gold Vase. The son of I Am Invincible has hit a purple patch with three wins in a row at his last three starts, combining with See in two of them: the Class 3 race (1,400m) on June 7 and the Supreme A event (1,200m) on June 29. The Singaporean rider was legged up in his third ride atop the five-year-old gelding, and the jockey-horse combination proved lethal once again. With noted front runner Big Bad Mama (Ganeesh Munusamy) setting a hot pace in front, and Arigatou (Hafis Saari), Last Samurai (Rueven Ravindra), Shanghai Nights (Nik Shahronnizam) and No More Delay (Salee Saad) pressing forward, See was happy to park Filial Dragon just outside of topweight Super Salute (Wong Kam Chong) before the bend. While his nemesis, Super Salute, was tucked behind runners on the rails, See quickly closed in on the first four approaching the turn and began scrubbing up his mount at the 300m. No More Delay inched closer and took over the lead from Big Bad Mama, but Filial Dragon ($10) lengthened nicely on the outside and motored past for a soft win. Group winner Super Salute came a tad too late after storming home from out wide and could only manage second, beating No More Delay into third. See, who was last based in Australia before he kicked off his Malaysian stint on June 1, has won his first Group 1 race at his first meeting in Ipoh. Before that, the 2018 Singapore champion apprentice's first and only Group victory came aboard Maximus in the Group 3 Colonial Chief Stakes (1,600m) at Kranji on Dec 9, 2018. "It's always going to be memorable that he's (Filial Dragon) given me my first Group 1 win. He's been great to me and I'm three-from-three on him now," said See, who has also ridden in India, Macau and Mauritius. "We thought there would be a bit of pace on the inside. Once we jumped out from barrier eight, I saw four to five of them hunting for the lead, but I knew what I had on hand. "They went hard and fast and I was happy to sit outside Super Salute around the bend. Super Salute was the only danger, but he was carrying top weight (59.5kg) and drawn on my inside (barrier 6). "He didn't have the pace, and so I knew if I kept him boxed in, I could have the race covered. "We knew they would come back to us in the straight if we rode him patiently. I have a lot of confidence in my horse's turn of foot and made my move at the 280 to 300m mark. "Once my horse started to pick up, I knew he was home already. "He's a very easy horse to ride. 1,400m is his max for now, and 1,600m maybe in the near future. He's pretty versatile and can settle anywhere in the race as long as there's pace." sharonzhang@
New Paper
a day ago
- New Paper
Cross-border Pride and joy
Leading Sydney trainer Joseph Pride enjoyed a good day at not one, but two offices in Australia on July 12. The 2024-25 Australian horse racing season may be drawing to an end with only around two weeks remaining, but the Warwick Farm handler was not letting up on his quest for more winners to pad up his successful campaign, even across borders. At home in Randwick, he struck a race-to-race double with two from his team of four runners - King's Secret ($22) in a Benchmark 72 handicap (1,100m) followed by Aberlour ($71) in a Benchmark 78 handicap (1,800m), both with A$160,000 (S$135,000) purses - to tie with Ciaron Maher on the Sydney metropolitan trainer's premiership on 45 winners, but still staying in fifth place on a countback for seconds. In racing, trainers never split their winners, be it in a lowly Class 1 at Wagga or a Group 1 in Flemington, and Pride is no different. However, if his geographical location on that day was anything to go by, a greater sense of "Pride and joy" must have been felt 700km away from home - Caulfield. A little less than three hours after cheering his duo home from the simulcast TV monitors at the Melbourne racecourse, and the obligatory phone chats to the owners and stable supervisor Orla Pearl, Pride was reaping the rich reward for his hit-and-run one-horse mission with consistent mare In Flight in the A$200,000 Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1,100m). Typical of airline flights, the $16 favourite was also late to take off. Three wide at the rear, the Flying Artie four-year-old must have given her punters the same fingernail-chewing moments as a passenger waiting for hours on the tarmac. But once Craig Williams throttled her up upon straightening, she finally became airborne, sprouting wings towards a soft landing with one length to spare from New York Lustre (Jamie Melham). Even for Pride, it was only when the Proven Thoroughbred black and lime green silks were over the line that he could release his pent-up nervous energy with a cathartic fist pump from his Caulfield vantage point. "I thought we would be a lot closer in the run and not tracking out so wide," he said. "That is probably what made it so awkward for her, but as soon as she straightened up and balanced up, she was good - she's a pretty good mare, this mare." The Proven colours also flew high at one half of Pride's Sydney double, King's Secret, who is the half-brother of one of Pride's and Proven's best horses, Group 1 Epsom Handicap winner Private Eye. "It's impressive. To see a mare throw horses like that again and again and to have the family in the stable. It's something special," said Pearl to Sky News, referring to their dam Confidential Queen. The mood was a lot less joyous in the Daniel Meagher camp in Caulfield, though. The former Kranji-based Australian trainer's two-time Singapore Horse of the Year Lim's Kosciuszko was soundly beaten in eighth place - his third defeat in as many starts since moving to Australia. One race earlier, Singapore Derby winner Lim's Saltoro fared even worse. After three encouraging runs at the same track, the 10-time Kranji winner put in his worst run by beating one home. In mitigation, he was eased out of the race in the home straight by jockey Jason Maskiell, who kept looking down to his left and right, as if something had gone amiss. The win by In Flight, who may be aimed at either the Oakleigh Plate or The Galaxy next year, also capped a treble for Williams, who has now whittled down the gap on the back-from-injury leader, Blake Shinn - who did not win any race - to four wins (67 versus 63). With five metropolitan meetings still left, the Shinn-Williams showdown will keep racegoers on the edge of their seats at the business end of the Melbourne season. manyan@
New Paper
4 days ago
- New Paper
Lucky Magic ready to spellbind again
Down to contest the rich Selangor Mile, Lucky Magic was put through his paces at the July 8 trials. Trainer Winson Cheng Han Yong's dual Group 1 winner showed he clearly had the credentials to flex his muscles in a big race. Ridden by Shafiq Rizuan, the son of Mendelssohn jumped on terms and settled rather comfortably into fourth spot despite having to clear a disadvantaged outside chute. Up in front and on a track rated good, Mega Blaze, Zero Five Six and Lim's Craft fought for the lead. Rounding the turn which brought the field to the top of the home stretch and Shafiq still had Lucky Magic on a tight rein. But, with slightly more than a furlong to travel, the complexion of the trial changed completely. Shafiq clicked his mount into action and, like a bullet from a shotgun, Lucky Magic was off and gone. He went through the front runners like a hot knife through butter and at the finish, he had put three parts of a length between himself and the chasing pack, led by Lim's Craft and Zero Five Six. But it was all about Lucky Magic, who clocked an impressive 59.64sec for the 1,000m. Undoubtedly one of the stars currently residing at Sungai Besi, he has to-date won seven races going back to June 2, 2024, highlighted by the Group 1 Penang Gold Cup (2,000m) in December and Group 1 Perak Derby (2,000m) in March. Last time at Penang's farewell meeting on May 31, the four-year-old carried stable confidence and duly obliged when coming off third spot at the 800m mark to win a Special Rapid Stakes A race over 1,300m, which, slated as Race 7 of the seven-race programme, was the last race ever staged in Penang. The proven middle-distance performer should be even better when tackling the 1,600m on July 20. Another notable trend of his is to string together his victories. After racking up a race-to-race double on Oct 6 and 27, he then weaved a treble on Dec 29, Jan 31 and March 2, bookending the haul with his two Group 1 successes. The inaugural Selangor Mile - to be Malaysia's richest four-year-old in history at a purse of RM1 million (S$301,000) - on July 20 is now next in Lucky Magic's crosshairs. Hats off to runner-up Lim's Craft, who has been a luckless customer at his last six outings. He took fourth on March 23 and April 12. Following a sixth to Platinum Glory on May 25, he ran third at his last two starts on June 7. A veteran of 10 wins from 75 starts, the Smart Missile nine-year-old can still raise a gallop, and could surprise at his next start. Another one from the trials who bears watching is Witnessimpact, who alongside former stablemate Antipodean, took Malaysia by storm for trainer Simon Dunderdale at the end of last year. A winner of four-from-four at his initial Malaysian campaign, the Victorian import has failed to recapture the same shine in 2025, but his win in the third hit-out of the morning - the first of two on sand - was encouraging. Thriving on the alternative surface, he made all for jockey Uzair Sharudin to win by six lengths. His time of 1min 0.24sec for that run on the sand was extremely commendable as Kim Empire, who won the next trial on the sand, clocked 1:02.18 when beating Elite Boy by a head. The Star Witness five-year-old has just moved to Ooi Chin Chin's barn following a string of disappointing runs. He did open his 2025 campaign - all in Kuala Lumpur - in style, leading all the way in a Supreme A (1,200m) at Sungai Besi on Jan 12. But after he ran second to Noah Khan in a 1,200m sprint on Feb 23, his form took a dive and the best he could manage for his next four starts was a fifth placing in a Class 2 (1,020m) race on June 15. Five wins from 12 starts is no small matter. So keep Witnessimpact on your radar, he could get his groove back. brian@
