Top flight: Proven combination takes pride in record season
By Chris Roots
It has been the best year for Proven Thoroughbreds and the Joe Pride stable, and they are both quick to point out that it is all about winning.
Winning The Everest with Think It Over was a career peak for Proven Thoroughbreds principal Jamie Walter and the Pride stable. Then there is Private Eye, which won The Shorts and was third to his stablemate in the $20million Everest and second to Bella Nipotina in the Giga Kick Stakes.
In Flight will be out to secure BOBS horse of the year by completing a hat trick of wins at Randwick on Saturday Credit: Getty Images
“There was a point last year when I said to Joe after Think About It won a group 1 in Brisbane, ‘Did you never think we would have a second-best horse as good as Private Eye’,” Walter said.
“He said, ‘No, but I’m enjoying it’. I said to him, ‘I have been waiting more than 20 years to have a horse like these two, so we should enjoy it’.“
While Think About It and Private Eye have taken the Proven colours to the biggest stage, the year for the syndicator has been massive: 52 winners, 22 of which have been in the city, and more than $16 million in prizemoney.
There is the next generation coming through as well during the winter. Emerging fillies The Black Cloud and In Flight are making names for themselves with winning records.
In Flight took her fourth BOBS bonus for the season last time out and can make it a hat-trick of wins at benchmark 72 level at Randwick on Saturday. She tops the BOBS horse of the year standings with $56,000 in bonuses, and another win would confirm that title.
“It is not one that many people that look at, that title, but it is a very good effort for any horse to win five races in a season,” Pride said.
“Racing after all is about winning, and when you win it is much more exciting. She has the job in front of her on the weekend because she won her first benchmark 72 with 53.5 kilos and then had 56.5 last time, and now she is up to 60 kilos.
“She certainly handles the wet ground. She keeps racing well and she has earned another crack while she is in form.
“To have a horse be at the top of the BOBS is certainly very good for Proven and me because we are not known for younger horses.”
Walter takes a bit of pride in In Flight because she was a filly he went to $220,000 to secure at the Adelaide Magic Millions.
The Black Cloud is set to step up to black type company in spring.Credit: Getty
“She is one we paid a bit more for and we got it right,” Walter said. “She is doing on the track what we saw in the sale ring.
“We have a bit of a reputation of getting the right horse for not a lot of money, but you need to get these ones right as well.
“Her and The Black Cloud are the next horse coming through behind Private Eye and Think About It, and they are important to us. They could both get to stakes level next season because Joe has managed them so well.
“He is aiming The Black Cloud at the Toy Show Stakes in early August, so it could be an exciting start to the spring for us with the two stars to come.”
Pride has got Private Eye back at his Warwick Farm stable, and Think About It is due back next week. Both will once again be on the Everest path.
“Private Eye has come back and he looks fantastic,” Pride said.
“He is just better for some reason in the spring, and his form shows that is when he can match it with the best sprinters. He will be ready in early September for the Concorde Stakes or Moir Stakes and then take the same path to The Everest as last year, and hopefully get a slot.
“I will do the same as last year with Think About It. He won the Premiere Stakes before The Everest, so that’s when you will see him. But I do have the option of taking him down to Melbourne for Gilgai Stakes as well.
“The Sprint series is a big lure to stay in Sydney, but we’re going to be placing these two horses so they get best tracks possible. It is good to be talking about them again.”
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