Hefty handicaps and wide gates will be the order of the day for Joe Pride when stablemates Brutality and Titanium Power clash at Rosehill.
Brutality has been dealt a double whammy with top weight of 64.5kg and the outside barrier in Saturday’s Furphy Handicap (1400m), while Titanium Power fared marginally better with 60.5kg and gate 12 of 14.
Pride had the option to claim on Brutality but said it wasn’t a serious consideration as he was more intent on maintaining the horse’s connection with senior jockey Regan Bayliss ahead of their main mission in Saturday week’s $2 million The Ingham (1600m).
“He ran in this race last year and carried a big weight, not as big as what it is on Saturday, but when you’ve got a race in mind you want a bit of continuity with a jockey,” Pride said.
“Regan rides him all the time and if I go and put a kid on him this week and he gets the ride wrong, it could stuff the prep.
“He is there to win but it’s more important he gets the right ride, and he gets the perfect preparation for the Ingham.”
It is rare for a horse to compete in Sydney with such an impost, but Pride has pulled it off successfully before, and recently.
Zoushack lumped 64-1/2 kilos to victory at Warwick Farm in October when ridden by Hugh Bowman, albeit it was a midweek meeting.
While Brutality faces a tough task on Saturday, Titanium Power is better positioned and won’t be disadvantaged by his wide draw given he has good gate speed.
He had genuine excuses when unplaced at Newcastle last start and significantly, blinkers go back on.
“Total forgive run the other day, he is an honest, genuine horse,” Pride said.
“It was a combination of things, but he lost a shoe and he was second-up after a first-up win, which is a rare thing for him. He looks fantastic and he will take some catching on Saturday.”
If Titanium Power can salute, it will be a popular result in the stable.
Affectionately nicknamed “Keithy”, Pride describes the gelding as a gentle giant and one of the sweetest horses he has worked with.
“If I was going to put someone’s two-year-old kid on a horse’s back, it would be ‘Keithy’s’. He’s a giant, a massive horse, but he is so kind,” Pride said.
“If I’ve got a difficult horse, Keithy has the job of going out with them, walking around with them and keeping them calm.
“He’d be one of the favourites in the stable of almost everyone.”
