Blue-blooded thoroughbreds are not a mainstay of Joe Pride’s stable so it’s no surprise the Warwick Farm horseman is hard pressed to think of a better bred galloper to have come through his yard than Warwick Farm winner Attica.
By champion Lonhro, the colt is the first foal from multiple Group winner Savatiano and was placed in Pride’s care when Godolphin farmed out its racehorses to public trainers.
“It’s got to be close (to the best), doesn’t it?” Pride said of Attica’s pedigree.
“When they gave me the horses they said, ‘we’ve given you Attica’ and I didn’t know who Attica was so I looked it up and thought, wow.”
The three-year-old showed ability to back up his pedigree with an impressive debut win in the opening race at Warwick Farm on Wednesday, albeit he took some cajoling from jockey Adam Hyeronimus.
Interesting debut winner at Warwick Farm today.
Attica (3c Lonhro x Savatiano) for @PrideRacing
One of only three horses which were entered for this year's Cox Plate as an unraced 3YO. Obviously the wraps have been strong.@godolphin pic.twitter.com/pQPraUnmLv— Breednet (@BreednetNews) September 3, 2025
Pride said that was no surprise given Attica ($4.40) had a relaxed nature, but the colt managed to knuckle down when it mattered and reel in another richly pedigreed colt in Decorum ($8), a brother to Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Switzerland.
“First start in a race and you’ve got to come here and do it under race pressure and as much as he’s shown us at home, he is a very laidback, casual type,” Pride said.
“He needed to wake up today and he did that under race pressure, which is good.”
Pride is keen to see Attica graduate to stakes company sooner rather than later, although he will let the dust settle before deciding where the colt can chime into the carnival.
Kris Lees also has black type aspirations for Precise Air Handicap (1200m) winner Cantiamo ($3.10 fav) after she lumped 60kg to victory, her second win in as many starts this campaign.
Lees believes there is still upside to come and will weigh up a number of targets in Sydney and Melbourne.
She's looked soft, she's looked hairy and she's now two from two with more to come it would seem.
Cantiamo (3f Too Darn Hot x Valencay) for @Leesracing
A $220k buy from @SledmereStud from @inglis_sales Classic, she's from the Eight Carat family.@DarleyStallions pic.twitter.com/K3vYR8ozlT— Breednet (@BreednetNews) September 3, 2025
“She’s an exciting filly. She’s not winning by big margins but she’s not the finished product yet either so she is doing a good job,” Lees said.
“There are a couple of options in Melbourne I’d consider, one around the Valley.
“She is ticking all the boxes so far. We’ll just keep an eye on these better stakes fillies. We will take them on at some stage we will just see how she comes through today.”
Ridden by James Mcdonald, Cantiamo scored by a short neck over Surf’s Up ($14), one of only two other fillies in the race.
