Joe Pride has celebrated a winning double at Rosehill on Saturday as he prepares to expand his Warwick Farm stable.
Pride will take over a 29-horse stable block with Wendy Walter’s decision not to keep training following the sudden death of her husband Guy last month.
For Pride, who does not yet know how many of the Walter horses will stay with him, the time to grow is now.
Into the third week of a six to eight week rehabilitation from knee surgery, Pride said being on crutches and having to take a back seat had taught him some valuable lessons.
“I’ve learned that the staff can get along without me at the stable every five minutes,” Pride said.
“This is an example today. I don’t have to be there every minute.
“I have kept the stable to 45 horses for the past five years and now is the right time for me to get bigger.
“I just wish it wasn’t under these circumstances but I’m honoured that I was chosen as the one to move into Guy’s stable.
“He was a mentor to me after John Size moved to Hong Kong.”
Pride’s double came courtesy of Green Beret and Keep Cool.
Sent out the $4 favourite in the 1100m sprint with Josh Parr aboard, Green Beret was up on the pace while stablemate Earnest Ernest ($6) came from behind to run second.
Far from being disappointed with the runner-up’s 11th second placing, Pride said both horses performed well.
“Green Beret likes to be fresh and that’s why I sent him into the race without a trial,” he said.
“And Earnest Ernest is as honest as they come. It pays the bills.”
Lady Of Harrods ($15) ran a solid third at her first start for trainer Sam Kavanagh.
Keep Cool, who has had three starts for Pride since being transferred from Danny O’Brien in Melbourne, led all the way to win the 2000m open handicap by half a length from the Walter-trained Dream Folk.
Both horses were ridden by Josh Parr who also steered Destiny’s Kiss to win last week’s Stayers Cup.
Keep Cool and Destiny’s Kiss are owned by Nick Moraitis, a long time supporter of the Pride stable.
