Joe Pride has great respect for star stayer Maluckyday but believes the Melbourne Cup runner-up is under the odds and beatable in Saturday’s Ranvet Stakes.
Pride is taking aim at Maluckyday and Caulfield Cup winner Descarado with consistent mare Sacred Choice in the Group One weight-for-age contest at Rosehill.
It’s part a plan he hopes will end with his second Doncaster victory next month.
Maluckyday is the $1.70 favourite to claim a Group One breakthrough.
“Everyone has got Maluckyday on top and I do think he’s the horse to beat,” Pride said.
“Maybe you shouldn’t worry about prices but $1.70 about a horse that’s second-up over 2000 metres and a horse that’s shown he’s a genuine stayer, I don’t know.
“I think he’s under the odds and I think he’s beatable, so I’m hoping I’m the one that can do that.”
Sacred Choice, winner of the Group One Myer Classic (1600m) at Flemington in November, turned in the best run of her autumn preparation when hitting the line strongly for third in the Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm on March 5.
Maluckyday, trained by John Hawkes in partnership with his sons Michael and Wayne, turned in a slashing first-up effort in the same race to come from the tail of the field and finish fourth.
Pride has found a preparation which works for Sacred Choice and will stick to it leading into the Doncaster on April 16, with the Ranvet her final start before the time-honoured Randwick mile.
Sacred Choice had four weeks between runs after the Epona Stakes (1900m) last autumn and came out to win the Group Two Emancipation Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
Pride also left four weeks between Sacred Choice’s third in the Epsom Handicap (1600m) and the Group One Myer Classic at Flemington during the spring.
“I was going to do it if I could and it was just a matter of working it in and seeing how she was going,” Pride said.
“The opportunity is there so I’m going to do it again.”
Sacred Choice hasn’t raced over 2000m since joining Pride’s team a couple of years ago but she did win in maiden and class one company over 2000m and 2100m as a younger horse on provincial tracks.
“It’s telling you she can probably run the trip,” Pride said.
“She’s out of a Sir Tristram mare and she looks like more of a horse that will get that distance,” Pride said.
“She’s a good miler, a good Randwick miler, and what do they always say – good Randwick milers can run 2000 metres.
“I haven’t got too many doubts over her at the trip.”
AAP TURF
