Sydney’s first black-type race of the upcoming season is less than three weeks away and Joe Pride is looking to make an early impact, earmarking two sprinters for next month’s Group 2 Missile Stakes.
Both are new stable additions and Pride is keen to get their latest chapters underway.
“I’m going to have two new faces there in the Missile, Argentia and Big Parade,” Pride said.
“They’re both going to trial again on Monday the 24th (of July) and then off to the Missile on the fifth of August.”
A dual Group 3 winner for Anthony and Sam Freedman in Victoria, Argentia has won three of her 13 starts but struggled for form last preparation when unplaced in three autumn runs.
Pride is still learning about her, but he likes what he sees so far.
“She’s only lightly raced and she’s a really nice mare,” he said.
“She trialled at Warwick Farm the other day and she went really well. I’m quietly confident she is going to come up for us.”
Big Parade joined Pride’s yard following the defection of trainer Mark Newnham to Hong Kong.
A top-class sprinter at his best, the six-year-old has been off the scene since the autumn of 2022 when he placed in the Group 1 Galaxy and Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes, his scheduled return during the Brisbane winter carnival delayed by a minor setback.
Despite the gelding’s extended absence from the races, Pride says another trial will have him on target for his first-up Missile Stakes (1200m) raid.
“He will have had four trials by that point, so I don’t think he’ll be underdone,” Pride said.
“I entered him in Brisbane but he had a little issue behind and I didn’t want to take any risks with that so I didn’t send him.
“I wanted to get him right. He is a lovely horse and he’s going well.”
It will be a later spring start for Pride’s established stars Private Eye and Think About It with that pair slated to resume in the The Shorts (1100m) at Randwick on September 16 and Premiere Stakes (1200m) on September 30 respectively.
“Private Eye has been back for over two weeks. He’s going really well and I’m happy with him,” Pride said.
“Think About It has had just over five weeks out and will be back in the stable on Monday.”
