Joe Pride will have a strong hand in the final race at Rosehill after deciding to keep topweight Titanium Power in Sydney.
Runner-up to Winter Challenge favourite Cross Talk last start, Titanium Power was also accepted for a race in Brisbane but after struggling to find a rider at Eagle Farm, Pride opted to run him closer to home.
The four-year-old will be one of three stable runners in Saturday’s ATC Thank You Trainers Handicap (1300m), along with recent addition Opacity and Silent Agenda.
Titanium Power is the pre-post favourite and Pride expects the gelding to run his usual, honest race while he is looking for sharp improvement from Opacity ($26).
The latter settled back in the field and failed to threaten at his stable debut earlier this month, but the trainer has been taken by his physical improvement since then.
“I took an extra bit of time to get him back to the races because he was very wintery in the coat,” Pride said.
“Over the last two weeks, I have really seen a big improvement in his coat, so I am figuring he is just about to come into a time of year he is going to enjoy.
“It is a very important run for him on Saturday. He’s a new horse to the stable so he needs a good performance.
“He’s ready to do something.”
Opacity has been out of the winner’s circle for more than a year, but he has an appealing second-up record and is a winner on heavy ground.
Silent Agenda rounds out the team and while he has to adjust to a slight distance drop, he has a good Rosehill record and Pride expects him to be strong late.
