Emerging gelding Anthracite is slated to compete as a prominent contender in a lucrative $750,000 event at Randwick, just three months after facing uncertainty in his career.
Trainer Joe Pride has confirmed that Anthracite will back up from his hard-fought victory over a mile at the same track last Saturday, securing his spot in the upcoming Sydney Gold Cup (2000m) this Saturday.
This latest triumph marked Anthracite’s third win in his last four outings, a stark contrast to his earlier performances for Pride, where he struggled to make an impact in midweek races.
“He’d been quite raw, and in his early runs, quite arrogant and not easy to get on with,” Pride remarked. “But he’s really starting to think the right way now, and that’s why we’re seeing him going through the grades. He needed to improve his manners, and he’s done that, and we’re starting to see what kind of horse he can be.”
While Anthracite has led the field in two of his previous three victories, he was unable to dictate terms last weekend but still managed to achieve the win.
Pride readily acknowledges that the win wasn’t aesthetically pleasing, but it demonstrated the horse’s versatility.
“I like him in front but there wasn’t much we could do there. Winona (Costin on Thrice) wanted to take it up. He did everything wrong and still won,” Pride stated. “He’s showing each time he goes out there that he’s got some serious cardio happening. He’s not an overly big horse, but he’s got a proper engine.”
Furthermore, the six-year-old’s resilience has been particularly noteworthy.
The Sydney Gold Cup will be the ninth start of his current campaign, and he has consistently performed well with regular racing.
“He’s pretty tough. The runs just don’t touch the sides. Every time he runs he looks better,” Pride added.
With the import Perisher withdrawn to compete in an earlier benchmark race, Starzintheireyes was listed as the $4.20 favourite on Wednesday, followed by Barrengarry at $4.80 and Anthracite at $5.
For those looking to get involved, consider exploring the comprehensive Australian betting sites available for the Sydney Gold Cup.
