The first and only time Sydney gelding Accredited travelled interstate to race, he turned in a below par run.
However, trainer Joe Pride is quietly confident that won’t be the case when the six-year-old makes his Queensland debut in Saturday’s Listed Lough Neagh Stakes (1300m) at Eagle Farm.
“It was at Sandown. It’s a difficult course for Sydney horses to go to first time the Melbourne way, and I’m hoping that was the problem,” Pride said.
“He came back from there and raced well, so I’m thinking it was more something that happened on the day.”
Accredited heads to Brisbane boasting strong form references, finishing runner-up to stablemates Estadio Mestalla and Coal Crusher at his first two campaign runs before a fourth behind subsequent The Ingham winner Yorkshire in the Festival Stakes (1500m).
It was that performance that set him on a path to Brisbane, highlighting to Pride that his distance range peak should be capped at 1400m.
“The Festival showed me everything I needed to know about the horse, and he will be restricted to 1400 and below for the rest of his life,” he said.
“He didn’t run the 1500 out strongly enough, so I’m going to bring him back in trip and the 1300 should be ideal for him.
“He looks really well placed. His form lines are around Estadio Mestalla, Coal Crusher and Yorkshire. They’re all the right form lines to go up there.
“He does have to take on Rothfire, but he looks well placed to do that and I’m really happy with the horse.”
Pride took two stablemates interstate last weekend and almost came away with a perfect record when The Black Cloud was successful at Eagle Farm and Private Eye went down in the final bounds to Warnie in the Supernova at Pakenham.
Accredited is his only runner outside Sydney this weekend, but he says he’s happy to travel the right horse for the right race.
“You’ve got to go where you can find the races you can win, and hopefully that’s the case for this horse,” Pride said.
