Joe Pride says the Listed Eskimo Prince Stakes at Warwick Farm on Saturday is a fork in the road for talented filly La Remlap.
La Remlap will make her first stakes appearance since joining Pride’s team and the trainer is hoping the 1200m contest will confirm his high opinion of the filly and pave the way to feature sprints.
“Saturday is very much a bit of a fork in the road if you like,” Pride said.
“She can sort of go onwards and upwards from there or we can hang around at that sort of level.
“I’m hoping it’s onwards and upwards but I’d be reluctant to declare too much before we see what happens on Saturday.”
La Remlap is in her second preparation for Pride and resumed at Rosehill on February 19 with a mighty effort carrying 57.5kg from barrier 11 to hold off all but Halekulani over 1100m.
The filly meets the Gai Waterhouse-trained Halekulani two kilograms better on Saturday.
“She’s a tough little thing and I’m very happy with her,” Pride said.
“The 1200 metres second-up could be a concern but she’s done very well.”
The feature Warwick Farm meeting will also see the Pride-trained Miss Keepsake continue on her path towards feature staying races in the Listed Aspiration Quality (1600m).
“This looks a nice assignment for her, she’s going to need a bit further still I would think but on the back of her last run you would expect her to be finding the line well,” Pride said.
Last year’s Queensland Oaks winner has had two starts since joining Pride’s team and turned in an encouraging second-up effort when hitting the line strongly for fifth in a 1400m Benchmark 95 event at Rosehill on February 26.
“They need to do that, even horses for longer journeys, they need to find the line,” he said.
“She certainly did that last start and hopefully she can build on that and go a little bit better again on Saturday.”
Pride won the Aspiration Quality last year with subsequent Group One winner Sacred Choice.
Lightly-raced mare Ladys Angel resumes in the Listed Wenona Girl Handicap (1200m) and Pride would love to see a bit of rain about to help her chances, while on Sunday Bacchanal Woman returns to her old stamping ground to contest the Listed National Sprint (1400m) in Canberra.
Bacchanal Woman won the National Sprint two years ago when trained by Keith Dryden and Pride believes the mare is capable of bouncing back from a disappointing first-up Triscay Stakes showing.
“She’s got a good record at Canberra, she’s won four out of five there so hopefully we can keep that good record up,” he said.
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