If Joe Pride has one reservation over the first-up chances of Accredited in the Bob Charley AO Stakes at Randwick, it is the presence of two stablemates.
The six-year-old will clash with Dragonstone and The Black Cloud In Saturday’s Listed sprint, and given two of Accredited three minor placings over the summer were behind fellow Pride-trained gallopers, his barn mates might just be his biggest threats.
“He ran second at Randwick first-up beaten by Estadio Mestalla, then Coal Crusher beat him in The Hunter,” Pride said.
“He is getting beaten by his stablemates, and he’s got a couple of stablemates to contend with again here.”
Despite that quirk in Accredited’s race record, Pride is confident the seven-time winner is in perfect condition for his return as he chases an overdue stakes success.
He has been placed three-times at black-type level and is a noted first-up performer, although Pride is well aware the horse has gone winless since taking out a benchmark race at Randwick 12 months ago.
“He’s won enough races, but he is not a punters’ favourite, although they always seem to send him out hard in the market,” he said.
“He doesn’t get the job done often enough, I feel, but the best version of him is more than capable of winning this race.
“I feel like I’m turning up with a horse in really good shape. I love the way he’s moving at home this time around. I love the way he’s trialled. He’d be my best chance in that race.”
While Accredited is Pride’s top seed, he isn’t discounting the chances of Dragonstone or The Black Cloud.
The former won the corresponding race in 2022 when prepared by the now Hong Kong-based Mark Newnham and has been a consistent sprinter for several seasons.
The Black Cloud was competitive in Group 1 company during the Sydney autumn, beaten just over a length by Marhoona in The Galaxy (1100m), before finishing out of the placings in Queensland last start.
“The Black Cloud is a very consistent mare, and she is pretty well placed there Saturday,” he said.
“She has been running around in better races than this, and she didn’t have much luck the other day.
“Dragonstone is just an honest, hard trying horse, and he is never far away.”
Emergencies Memoria and Wanaruah have both secured starts in the Bob Charley AO Stakes (1100m) after the early scratchings of the Pride-trained In Flight and Bjorn Baker’s Monte Supreme, who will both line up in feature races at Eagle Farm.
