5 days ago
Trainer Joseph Pride excited to get the best out of Godolphin galloper Kerguelen
Joe Pride has only put the polish on Kerguelen for a matter of days but is trusting the form stacking up around his new arrival as he looks to train his first Godolphin winner at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Kerguelen will be Pride's first starter for Godolphin after the 'Blue Army' moved to a public training model from this season.
Godolphin's new era got off to a flyer last weekend with Amusing delivering the racing powerhouse its first winner with champion trainer Chris Waller.
Kerguelen gets his chance to make a similarly emphatic first impression for his new yard in the Asahi Super Dry Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m) with star jockey Nash Rawiller aboard.
'He is a lovely big horse,' Pride said.
'He gets onto a wet track and we know that will be no problem for him.
'I think he is coming through what now looks to be a pretty good form race with King Of Roseau going down and winning at Flemington the other day in the Aurie's Star.
'You could mount an argument he could have gone close to beating him. He looks like a nice horse.'
Kerguelen did his best work late last start to finish runner-up to King Of Roseau at Rosehill Gardens on July 19 in his final start for James Cummings.
Bookies rate Kerguelen as a $3.30 favourite to kick off with a win for his new stable.
Two of Pride's new three-year-olds from Godolphin will trial on Friday at Warwick Farm, including Kirkham Plate winner Comedy.
The 2023 Golden Eagle placegetter Golden Mile is also on the list of horses inherited by the Warwick Farm conditioner.
'I've got 21 of them on my books now so it's a decent size team there and some very nice three-year-olds there,' Pride said.
Private Eye lines-up on Friday morning with the two-time The Everest placegetter also down to trial at Warwick Farm twenty four hours before the race.
