Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Joe Pride was taken aback when told he had won the Caryl Williamson NSW Racing Writers’ Personality of the Year award.
He could see why fellow Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker, a “bubbly personality”, won the award in 2025, but he quipped “maybe they could come up with a better name” than personality of the year when it came to him.
Pride, though, has endeared himself to many in racing with his accessibility, forthright opinions and passion for his horses.
“I don’t like talking about many things, but talking about my horses … they are definitely the most interesting part of it, so I can talk about my horses all day,” he said.
“I’m pretty protective of them, but I don’t like getting ahead of myself too much with the young horses because that it can bite you on the bum, but the ones that are out there and running, I like that friendly rivalry, like the stuff with Eduardo and Nature Strip. To me, that’s all fun.
“Once you’ve got a good horse, I think it’s part of what makes it intriguing, if they can go to battle and you can have some cheeky replies with your opposition.”
One that sits firmly in that category of good horse is $62,500 buy Private Eye, a nine-year-old warrior having amassed $12,991,685 in prizemoney. Another chapter in his amazing story was created last week when a 10 per cent ownership share attracted $22,500 at auction.
Pride hopes to meet new part-owner Adam Reilly on Saturday at Randwick when Private Eye ($3.90) races in the group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m), and he is confident the ageless sprinter can prove an astute buy after less than a length away from Cosmic Crusader first-up in the PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m).
“The horse has only got to win $300,000 and he’s going to get his money back, and I think it’s a good buy,” he said.
“I know he’s nine, but he’s not showing any signs of slowing down. I think he will be around for another 12 months, and I’d be disappointed if he didn’t win that kind of prizemoney, and give them a lot of fun.
“He’s a legend, a beautiful old horse. He was really good the other day and this 1400m is his go. He ran second to Pericles in this last year, and Pericles went on to really good things, so he’s well suited. He’s got his old mate Nash [Rawiller] on and he’ll run top three.”
Pride also has Headley Grange ($5.50) resuming and Attica ($9.50) second up in the Tramway. He opted for the 1400m race for Attica over the 1600m Chelmsford Stakes as he works towards the Epsom Handicap (1600m). The Spring Champion Stakes winner was two lengths behind Althoff when resuming at 1400m.
“The first-up run was good and the winner has won again since,” Pride said.
“We gave him seven kilos that day, so it was a fair effort.”
Headley Grange is back after winning a maiden group 1 in the Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m), which the six-year-old followed with 10th in the Stradbroke (1400m). Pride was “very forgiving” of the Stradbroke run on a horror Eagle Farm track.
“He’s a very good horse fresh and he’s been a model of consistency, so I’m confident he will be thereabouts,” he said.
“I thought he trialled up super in his latest one.
“He’s a very tricky horse to place now, but I figure he’ll be suited, a bit like Private Eye, in these races with set weights and penalties, or this second-tier racing.”
In the Chelmsford, Pride has four-time group 1 winner Ceolwulf, which had to gallop before stewards after blood was found in one nostril following his return when fifth in the Winx Stakes. It followed three similar instances in the spring where post-race blood was not from an exercised-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. Still, under the rules, Ceolwulf has been listed as a bleeder.
“He’s shaved a few years off my life, but he’s really good,” Pride said.
“There’s a lot of attention around that blood, but it’s a miniscule amount and it’s not coming from his lungs. We’ve scoped him multiple occasions. He’s just a victim of a very old-fashioned rule that was written before we had scopes.
“I’ve spoken to stewards about this. I think the perception is bad because the public keep thinking he’s a bleeder, and he’s not. We have the utmost level of care for this horse, we wouldn’t put him through that.”
Ceolwulf was a $3.40 second elect for the Chelmsford, but Pride was not expecting to see his best.
“He was favourite in this race last year and got beaten,” he said.
“He generally doesn’t come right until his third or fourth run.
“I’m very happy with him, but he probably wants a bit of a softer track than what he will encounter.
“We’ll go to the 7 Stakes after this. I’ll probably put blinkers on there and that will determine whether we go to the King Charles, or another run in the Hill Stakes then the Cox Plate.”
