In-form gelding Accredited will have a chance to prove how patience can be rewarded in racing on several fronts as he prepares for a belated black-type debut in the Southern Cross Stakes at Rosehill.
The sprinter was set to start a short-priced favourite for the Listed Carrington Stakes (1400m) at Randwick last week but the event was scrapped due to a lack of interest.
Trainer Joe Pride has rerouted to Saturday’s Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) Stakes and while it isn’t Plan A, he is optimistic of a bold showing.
“It’s Plan E, actually. It’s nowhere near as good a plan (as the Carrington Stakes). We were going to run a short-priced favourite in a Listed race,” Pride said.
“But he will still run well because he’s a nice horse. I’m happy with that.”
While Accredited will make his stakes race debut a week later than hoped, he has also been a slow burn in general.
The son of All Too Hard didn’t race until late in his three-year-old season after enduring a haphazard start to his career but has so far notched six wins and four placings from just 13 starts.
“He was always a bit of a brute of a horse so he wasn’t slow to develop, he was just slow to get there,” Pride said.
“He went shin sore at least three times. He seemed to always hit hurdles every time I brought him in, different things that would stop him getting to the races. You hear this too often, but it was probably a blessing in disguise.
“He is older and stronger now and going through the grades at a time when his body can handle it. It’s not a bad thing.”
Accredited has had three different jockeys for his past three wins and will again have a new partner on Saturday with Jay Ford secured to ride.
A field of nine has been paid up for the race headed by last year’s runner-up Hard To Say and the Bjorn Baker-trained trio of Iowna Merc, Wategos and the in-form Disneck.
