Latest news with #BrentonAvdulla
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Trainer Joe Pride has high hopes for headstrong debutant Gus The Great at Warwick Farm on
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.'' • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 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.'' Private Eye leads the journey in the opening trial at Warwick Farm with stablemate Ceolwulf not to far behind! ðŸ�‡ @PrideRacing — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 8, 2025 • 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. PRIVATE EYE 🖤ðŸ'š He's a class act! Private Eye shrugs off a pre-race vet check and leads all the way in the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence ðŸ'° @nashhot @PrideRacing @ProvenTbreds — 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) August 16, 2025 '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).'' â– â– â– â– â– 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.''
The Australian
06-07-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Pride follows Rosehill double with Group 1 win
The Everest winning trainer Joe Pride can add another title to his ever growing racing resume – now a Group 1 winning greyhound owner. Pride, who had a winning double at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, had a weekend to savour after his emerging sprinter Gus The Jet produced a commanding performance to win the Group 1 Vic Peters Classic (520m) at Wentworth Park on Saturday night. It came just a few hours after Pride had been on track in Sydney's west to watch Estadio Mestalla cause a boilover in the Listed $200,000 Winter Stakes with stablemate Storm The Ramparts also saluting on the metropolitan card. Gus The Jet is the first greyhound Pride has ever owned and the Group 1 conditioner races the emerging talent with his son Brave and Hong Kong-based star jockey Brenton Avdulla. 'I reckon there would be a few jealous dog owners that have been in the game for years and never had a Group 1 winner so we've just walked straight in and got one but that's thanks to Brenton Avdulla, he knows what he's doing and a good trainer Michelle Sultana,' Pride said. 'It's my first greyhound and he's named after my Corgi and I've just got a horse called Gus The Great as well, so I might need a trotter now as well.' With wife Kylie away, Pride spent the night watching the Group 1 from the comfort of his own home with his children. 'I've actually never been to Wentworth Park,' he said. 'I am not sure what I am missing but I am sure it would have been a buzz last night. 'We gave him a cheer at home.' Pride had plenty to cheer about at Rosehill Gardens with Estadio Mestalla bouncing back to his best as a $61 outsider in the Winter Stakes while stablemate Accredited was third in the same race. The Warwick Farm conditioner has a long term plan for Estadio Mestalla with the aim of gaining eligibility for the Big or Little Dance via upcoming country cups. 'We will probably look at something like Coffs (Harbour Cup) to give him his chance to get to the Big or Little Dance,' he said. 'He was in the Little Dance last year and ran second so it seems like a nice goal for him to try and line-up on Melbourne Cup day there again this year.' Pride's stable has dominated the winter feature sprint circuit in Sydney with In Flight claiming the Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes and Headley Grange scoring in the Listed Civic Stakes last month.
News.com.au
06-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Trainer Joe Pride had a weekend to remember with a Rosehill Gardens double and maiden Group 1 victory as a greyhound owner
The Everest winning trainer Joe Pride can add another title to his ever growing racing resume – now a Group 1 winning greyhound owner. Pride, who had a winning double at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, had a weekend to savour after his emerging sprinter Gus The Jet produced a commanding performance to win the Group 1 Vic Peters Classic (520m) at Wentworth Park on Saturday night. It came just a few hours after Pride had been on track in Sydney's west to watch Estadio Mestalla cause a boilover in the Listed $200,000 Winter Stakes with stablemate Storm The Ramparts also saluting on the metropolitan card. Gus The Jet is the first greyhound Pride has ever owned and the Group 1 conditioner races the emerging talent with his son Brave and Hong Kong-based star jockey Brenton Avdulla. 'I reckon there would be a few jealous dog owners that have been in the game for years and never had a Group 1 winner so we've just walked straight in and got one but that's thanks to Brenton Avdulla, he knows what he's doing and a good trainer Michelle Sultana,' Pride said. 'It's my first greyhound and he's named after my Corgi and I've just got a horse called Gus The Great as well, so I might need a trotter now as well.' ✈ï¸� Gus The Jet takes off! He lands the @ladbrokescomau Vic Peters Classic Final in style at @wentyparkgreys tonight! #thedogs @wentyparkgreys @brentonavdulla @PrideRacing — The Dogs (@Thedogs_com_au) July 5, 2025 With wife Kylie away, Pride spent the night watching the Group 1 from the comfort of his own home with his children. 'I've actually never been to Wentworth Park,' he said. 'I am not sure what I am missing but I am sure it would have been a buzz last night. 'We gave him a cheer at home.' Pride had plenty to cheer about at Rosehill Gardens with Estadio Mestalla bouncing back to his best as a $61 outsider in the Winter Stakes while stablemate Accredited was third in the same race. Estadio Mestalla is the star player in the Listed Winter Stakes and wins at big odds! âš½ï¸�â�'ï¸� That's separate doubles to @PrideRacing and @djgibbons22 at Rosehill today! 🙌 @aus_turf_club — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 5, 2025 The Warwick Farm conditioner has a long term plan for Estadio Mestalla with the aim of gaining eligibility for the Big or Little Dance via upcoming country cups. 'We will probably look at something like Coffs (Harbour Cup) to give him his chance to get to the Big or Little Dance,' he said. 'He was in the Little Dance last year and ran second so it seems like a nice goal for him to try and line-up on Melbourne Cup day there again this year.' Pride's stable has dominated the winter feature sprint circuit in Sydney with In Flight claiming the Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes and Headley Grange scoring in the Listed Civic Stakes last month.
South China Morning Post
22-06-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Beauty Joy bags another Group win: ‘He's probably got as much head noise as I did when I was 18'
One of Hong Kong's old warhorses helped Brenton Avdulla celebrate a new arrival at Sha Tin on Sunday night, with Beauty Joy taking out the Group Three Premier Plate (1,800m). Not long after welcoming baby boy Kobe to the family, Avdulla landed his second Group victory aboard the notoriously difficult Beauty Joy. 'He's probably got as much head noise as I did when I was 18 years old. We seem to get along very well,' said Avdulla of the Tony Cruz-trained eight-year-old. 'He was good to me last season and we've won another Group race today. Obviously well handled by Tony to get him here in good form and he did his job well.' The old boy, Beauty Joy! 🫡 Tony Cruz's 8YO wins the season's final Group race, the G3 Premier Plate, with @brentonavdulla at Sha Tin... @Beautystablehk #SummerSeries | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) June 22, 2025 After travelling second last in a race with decent early pace, $12.85 chance Beauty Joy worked through traffic early in the straight before charging through the line to salute by a length and a quarter from Hong Kong Derby hero Cap Ferrat. 'He's such a quirky horse, you can't get any feel of him early. You've just got to let the bridle try and fall out of his mouth as much as possible because he can give you a very difficult ride,' said Avdulla of the four-time Group winner. 'I never knew I was really in the race until probably just before the corner when the pace steadied and he got hold of the bridle. I gave him a little click into gear and he felt like the horse that was going to take me a long way. 'He had to come off the Derby winner's back and get out after him and he did that in good style. It was nice to win for a loyal supporter like Tony and for the Kwok family. Kobe has brought a bit of luck to the team.' HK Racing News Get updates direct to your inbox Sign up Best Bets Racing News By registering you agree to our T&Cs & Privacy Policy Error: Please enter a valid email. The email address is already in use. Please login to subscribe. Error, please try again later. THANK YOU You are one the list. Cruz confirmed Beauty Joy will race on next season after pushing his prize money past HK$35 million. 'He's always been a very honest horse but difficult to ride. In the parade ring before the race, [owner] Simon [Kwok Siu-ming] said, 'I hope we win this race. If we win this race, we're going to keep on racing him'. He won, so it looks like we're going to keep on racing him next season,' said Cruz. 'He's a healthy horse and as long as he's healthy, we'll keep going. We're going to keep the flow going.' Avdulla finished the season's 81st meeting with a double, also saluting aboard Mister Dapper for David Eustace, while Zac Purton landed a brace of his own with victories aboard Chris So Wai-yin-trained debutant Lightness Of Music and Lo Pan Spirit for Jimmy Ting Koon-ho. Sizzling debut, Lightness Of Music! 🔥 Soon-to-be Australian Racing Hall of Famer @zpurton guides Chris So's first starter to a stylish victory at Sha Tin for owner Nikki Ng... #SummerSeries | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) June 22, 2025 'It was a good effort because he got a little bit stirred up in the parade and going out to the track and then he pulled a shoe off [going to the barriers], so we had a little bit to deal with,' Purton said after Lightness Of Music's two-length victory in the Class Four Ruby Handicap (1,000m). 'Once he got behind the gates, it was pretty straightforward from there but it was good to see him do it on race day.' So headed home with multiple winners after also prevailing with Golden Fairy, with that galloper providing the first leg of a double for jockey Lyle Hewitson, who also saluted aboard Douglas Whyte's Morgan Success. Cody Mo Wai-kit also grabbed a brace thanks to wins from Jumbo Treasure and Flying Fortress.
News.com.au
17-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Trainer Joe Pride's grand campaigner Private Eye is no longer sprinting towards prizemoney top 10
Trainer Joe Pride has made the honest appraisal that Private Eye's days of contesting The Everest are behind him. Private Eye, who is on the verge of breaking into the all-time top 10 prizemoney earners after his close third in the Stradbroke Handicap last Saturday, is a rising eight-year-old and Pride believes the gelding is looking for longer race distances now. 'I think his pure sprinting days are over, he is not as sharp as he used to be,'' Pride said. 'He's more of a 'miler' these days. It's funny because after he won the Queensland Guineas as a three-year-old Brenton Avdulla said we should push on to the Derby. 'But then he got faster and became a sprinter. It seems he's reverting to what he was as a younger horse.'' Private Eye won the Group 1 Epsom Handicap over the Randwick mile course as a four-year-old but then developed into one of the nation's best sprinters, contesting three successive The Everests for a second to Giga Kick in 2022, a third behind stablemate Think About It in 2023, then his close sixth to Bella Nipotina last year. But Pride's evergreen equine star continues to be competitive at the highest level with his Stradbroke placing taking his career earnings to $12,217,185 and 11th on the prizemoney rankings, moving above Think About It ($12,163,050). Private Eye will get his chance to break into the top 10 in spring with Pride looking at a possible return in the Group 1 $1 million Winx Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on August 23. 'He won't have long off and I will have a think about the Missile Stakes (August 9) but maybe we go straight to the Winx Stakes fresh,'' Pride said. 'If he gets into the top 10 prizemoney earners, it will be a great achievement for the horse but it probably doesn't mean what it used to with the exaggerated levels of prizemoney these days. 'But he's done a great job during his career, he's been racing at Group level for five seasons now and is still holding his own.'' Pride said a race like the Group 1 $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on Everest Day, October 18, was a more likely spring goal for Private Eye. This is also the target for stablemate Ceolwulf, who won the Epsom Handicap-King Charles Group 1 double over the famous Randwick mile course last spring. Ceolwulf won the Neville Sellwood Stakes then was spelled after finishing fifth to champion Via Sistina in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes during autumn but is back in work at Pride's Warwick Farm stables and is also being readied for a comeback in the Winx Stakes. Epsom winner Ceolwulf with a huge run wins the G1 King Charles III Stakes in front of a record crowd at Randwick! @PrideRacing | @SchofieldChad @aus_turf_club | @WorldPool — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 19, 2024 'I'm really happy with how Ceolwulf spelled, he looks great,'' Pride said. 'At this stage we have either the King Charles or the Cox Plate as his main goal, I don't think he can run in both being just a week apart. 'That is one of the holes in the program because you want to see the best horses clashing. 'When I was getting into racing in the late 1980s, you watched Vo Rogue, Super Impose and Better Loosen Up racing against each other all the time because they were the only weight-for-age races. 'But these days there is so many choices and so many races to choose from for these top horses.'' Pride said there were various options for Ceolwulf including going to Melbourne later in the spring or staying in Sydney for an extended campaign. 'If Ceolwulf runs in the King Charles, then we have the option of going to Melbourne for either the Champions Mile or Champions Stakes, or he stays home and could even go to the Five Diamonds,'' Pride said. Civic Stakes (1400m) with Accredited, Cool Jakey, Estadio Mestalla and Headley Grange.
