Joe Pride taking on Stradbroke Handicap history with Private Eye
Trainer Joe Pride isn't concerned by historical trends as he readies Private Eye for a remarkable bid to win the Group 1 $3m Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
With the withdrawal of Giga Kick, Pride's sprinter Private Eye has 57kg and will wear the No.1 saddlecloth when he goes first-up into Queensland's premier sprint.
Private Eye is attempting to become the first horse this century to win the Stradbroke as topweight and without a lead-up run.
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Crawl won the 2001 Stradbroke off a 56-day break between runs but Private Eye will go to Eagle Farm having not started since his fourth behind Robusto in The Ingham at Randwick on December 14, last year – a gap of 182 days.
'Records are made to be broken and I don't think first-up is what it used to be,'' Pride said.
'I've also given Private Eye four barrier trials, I'm very happy with him, and he won't be beaten on the score of fitness.''
Giga Kick, who won the 2022 The Everest beating Private Eye, had 58.5kg in the Stradbroke but after finishing only sixth in Joliestar's Kingsford Smith Cup last Saturday, owner Jonathan Munz confirmed the chestnut is out of Saturday's big race.
Munz said although Giga Kick seems to have pulled up well the gelding will undergo a thorough veterinary examination and won't run in Stradbroke.
Private Eye is attempting to become the first horse to have the No.1 saddlecloth and shoulder 57kg or more to win the Stradbroke since Rough Habit scored under 58.5kg in 1992.
'His trial last Friday at Rosehill was everything I wanted to see from him. He jumped and put himself on the speed,'' said Pride, who won the Stradbroke with Think About It two years ago.
'He wanted to be there and that's the best version of Private Eye. He ran second in a Stradbroke three years ago (behind Alligator Blood) and I feel he's ready to run super again on Saturday.''
Private Eye, already the winner of $11.9m prizemoney, is on the third line at $11 of early TAB fixed odds betting for the Stradbroke behind the Team Hayes-trained War Machine at $2.80.
Meanwhile, Pride said he has decided to give In Flight a short break after her tough win in the Bob Charley AO Stakes at Royal Randwick last Saturday.
'In Flight came out of the race really well but I'm going to give her eight to 10 days off,'' Pride said.
'The plan then is to take her to Melbourne for the (Group 3 $200,000) Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield (July 12).
'She should get the wet track she likes down there at that time of year.''
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