Sydney’s weather patterns will dictate whether Ceolwulf possesses a realistic shot at defeating the star mare Autumn Glow in the Verry Elleegant Stakes at Randwick, as stated by trainer Joseph Pride.
The dominant Autumn Glow enters as the $1.30 market elect to stretch her perfect record to 10 straight victories on Saturday, a status Pride acknowledges as fully justified.
Pride’s sole condition revolves around substantial rainfall from the broad forecast range materialising, suggesting Ceolwulf could potentially disrupt the favourite should the surface turn notably heavy.
“I’m not even thinking about winning chances because honestly, if that mare shows up with what she did the other day, you’re probably not going to beat her at this stage of the preparation for us, with no blinkers and so early on,” Pride said.
“His best chance of running really well would be if the track is wet, so I’ve got my eye on that.
“That’s probably what punters want to hear from me, ‘is there a chance your horse could win? Well yes, but it would have to be wet, I would think’.”
Pride finds some comfort knowing Ceolwulf is set to compete at Randwick.
The gelding sat out the Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m) 12 months ago after an injury, and just a fortnight back his campaign appeared in jeopardy post the Apollo Stakes (1400m) when he weighed in with blood from his nostrils, typically warranting a mandatory three-month suspension.
Yet a follow-up endoscopic exam revealed no blood in Ceolwulf’s lungs or airway, with officials concluding it stemmed from a ruptured nasal vessel rather than an internal haemorrhage.
Racing officials approved his ongoing campaign, and Pride noted the horse has maintained full momentum.
“As soon as I scoped him, I felt like he was entitled to be here, but going back to two weeks ago when I saw him post-race, it is a massive relief,” Pride said.
“He didn’t miss a walk. He missed nothing.”
Ceolwulf boasts three Group 1 triumphs over Randwick’s mile, though Pride expects further enhancement later in his schedule, content with a topfew placing this weekend.
“Hopefully the first four or five and I’ll be happy. That will be box ticked going forward and I’ll know that he is on track. But I’m very happy with him.”
Pride also anticipates wet conditions aiding his Liverpool City Cup (1300m) contenders Coal Crusher and Cool Jakey, both strong wet-track performers, plus a solid effort from Gatsby’s in the closing event.
“I’m very happy with that horse,” he said of Gatsby’s.
“He’s had a real change in his attitude and he’s going well. He has put in three good, honest runs for me, and he’ll go really well on Saturday.”
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