Joe Pride trains many city winners but notched a rare quinella on Saturday when Flying Empress got the better of Trilione in a photo finish at Warwick Farm.
Flying Empress started at $17 in the Sydney Childrens Hospital Handicap (1200m) and fought back to deny the more fancied Trilione ($8.50) by a nose.
Flying Empress noses out Trilione at Warwick Farm giving Joe Pride the quinella - Photo by Steve Hart
The pair drew away from the rest of the field with third placed Gunawati 2-3/4-lengths away.
“That’s only my third ever quinella in town,” Pride, who has finished fourth in the past three Sydney trainers’ premierships, said.
“But I’m too silly to have taken the quinella. The other two I had before were both in mares’ races as well.
“I don’t really like racing two horses in a race though if I can avoid it.”
Flying Empress won her first two starts in impressive fashion but hadn’t been in the winner’s circle since December last year.
“She looked like an absolute superstar early on but I’ve had a few respiratory problems with her and I’ve tinkered around with the gear with blinkers going back on today,” Pride said.
“She was really strong at the finish so hopefully she can go on with it.”
The Warwick Farm trainer labelled Trilione “a heartbreaker” with the mare looking the winner in the straight before being run down.
“I just thought she was going to put them to the sword,” Trilione’s jockey Christian Reith told Pride.
“She got to the front and then she waited for them.”
Meanwhile, lightly-raced gelding Revolt continued his rise through the ranks with a third straight victory in the ATC Foundation Membership Handicap (1600m).
The John, Michael and Wayne Hawkes-trained five-year-old was suited by the hot speed up front set by the Pride-trained Othello and pounced down the centre of the track to score by 2-1/4-lengths from Hard Liquor.
“It was another good win and I think he’s a nice horse in the making,” jockey Rod Quinn said.
“The penny still hasn’t dropped, he’s still a big kid, but once he gets to 2000 metres he’ll be a handy horse.”
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