Joe Pride rides winning wave with In Flight as part of Randwick treble
'She's beautiful. I wouldn't say she's a sweet filly. She's a tart at times, but she's got all the attributes a good mare needs.'
Adam Hyeronimus then rode a double for Pride, taking Headley Grange ($3.50) through a gap late before taking the inside path on Storm The Ramparts ($3.60) in the last. It was a seventh city-level double in the past five weeks for Hyeronimus.
Colt joins trio's spring assault
Hidden Motive added to the spring excitement of the Private Harry team of Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle, Kurrinda Bloodstock and jockey Ash Morgan when he held on with a lucky bob of the head at Randwick on Saturday.
The Capitalist colt, an odds-on favourite, backed up a dominant maiden win at Hawkesbury to beat fast-finishing Kujenga by a nose in the two-year-old 1100m race to open the meeting.
Kurrinda Bloodstock director Sean Driver said Hidden Motive, which had mild sesamoiditis as a $120,000 yearling buy, would go to his farm for two weeks before returning to work with the Coolmore Stud Stakes on November 1 as the target.
Driver said Hidden Motive was a 'four or five lengths better horse' with more suitable conditions.
'He overraced, he got pestered in front and did a fair bit of work. He'll improve a lot,' Driver said.
'Wait until you see him on top of the ground. At home, what he's shown us, he's absolutely electric.'
Private Harry, meanwhile, has returned to Doyle's stables to work towards the $20 million The Everest in October.
The unbeaten colt is the top contender in betting to favourite Ka Ying Rising, which was confirmed as a starter this week after a slot lease deal between the Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Australian Turf Club.
Driver said Private Harry had put on between 65 and 80 kilograms of 'all muscle' during his spell.
'He's grown probably an inch and a half, but he's only three and he still had that bit of growing to do,' Driver said.
'He looks outstanding. I'm excited. All I'll say is they are going to have to be good to beat him.'
Driver said Private Harry would have two trials, probably at Newcastle then in Sydney, before runs in The Shorts and Premiere Stakes to prepare for The Everest.
Hellfire Express made it an early double for Doyle and Morgan, leading all the way to win the Midway Handicap comfortably at $16.
Morgan turned that into a first city treble when taking Matthew Smith-trained Millie De Lune ($8) to victory in the 2000m benchmark 72 handicap.
The Newcastle-based Welshman, enjoying a breakout year in town, put Millie De Lune in a perfect spot behind the leaders before she swept past favourite Hurstville Zagreb for a one and a quarter-length win.
Smith praised the 'super' ride, saying Morgan won the race in the first 100 metres.
The trainer made special mention of Millie De Lune part-owner Noel Surawski, who died during the week at the age of 90.
Group 1 glory for NSW stables
While it was a rare quiet day for the Chris Waller stable at Randwick, the champion Sydney trainer celebrated a national record 19th group 1 win of the season when Joliestar stormed home to nab Zarastro on the line and claim the Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm.
Waller had equalled his own record before the win, which also took premier jockey James McDonald to a career-best 15th group 1 Australian victory of the season.
Newcastle trainer Kris Lees, a winner at Randwick with Loch Eagle, claimed his third Queensland Oaks when You Wahng kicked back late under Tommy Berry to beat Pinito.
Randwick trainer John O'Shea and Tom Charlton then landed the Queensland Derby quinella with Maison Louis and King Of Thunder.
Loy strikes on Bengal
Luke Pepper-trained Bengal put forward an early case for a Kosciuszko slot thanks to a strong finish and clever ride from Brodie Loy, who scored his first win in Sydney in three years.
Bengal ($7), a $42,500 buy online from the Chris Waller yard last November, came with an inside run in the Highway Handicap to narrowly beat favourite Shropshire Lad.
'We earmarked him as a Kosciuszko sort of horse, if he kept improving, and we thought this was good place to kick him off and get his profile out there,' Pepper said.
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Loy was grateful for the chance on Bengal, which he said was 'a very nice horse with good improvement to come'.
'Luke's been one of my very good mates for a very long time and for him to trust me on some of these horses is very nice,' Loy said.
'The last couple of years, I've only ridden here once a couple of weeks and here today, so I don't come here often, so it's nice to get a win.'
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Headley Grange continues winning ways in Civic Stakes
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Headley Grange earns a shot at South Grafton Cup with victory in the Listed Civic Stakes at Randwick
Headley Grange, racing's 'Mr Reliable', has surged through his grades this season and is now a stakes winner after he scored at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Trainer Joe Pride 's talented sprinter has forgotten how to run anything but at his very best as he claimed the Listed $200,000 Civic Stakes (1400m). In a nine-race streak that began almost 12 months ago, Headley Grange has not missed a top two finish, winning five times. 'It's crazy,'' Pride said when asked to comment on Headley Grange's remarkable consistency. 'He was good again, it was nice to see him step up that higher grade today. 'It was a tough win and that's never easy to do in a high pressure race with plenty of opposition. 'But he's a quality horse and he has come through the grades really well.'' Headley Grange, confidently baked into $2.45 favouritism, gave Jason Collett the third leg of a winning treble when he comfortably held off Welwal ($26) to win by a half length with Astero ($51) three-quarters of a length away third. The Bjorn Baker -trained Raikkonen ($5) settled outside Headley Grange early but then lost his position when stablemate Iknowastar came across in front of him. Raikkonen then ended up on the rail behind Headley Grange but when the winner eased away from the inside to make his finishing run, Baker's sprinter stayed close to the inside and rallied late to finish an unlucky fourth. But Headley Grange was a deserving winner - and he's not finished yet. Pride revealed plans to set Headley Grange for the South Grafton Cup (1600m) on July 13. The South Grafton Cup is one of a series of races where the winner is eligible to gain a start in the $3 million The Big Dance (1600m) at Royal Randwick on the first Tuesday in November. Headley Grange adds the Listed Civic Stakes to his impressive record, and it's a Randwick treble to Jason Collett! 🙌 @PrideRacing @aus_turf_club â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 21, 2025 • It's A Knockout stuns rivals with dominant victory 'He's come back particularly well this preparation and we will go to the South Grafton Cup next,'' Pride said. 'We will try and qualify him for one of the Dances.'' Headley Grange has now scored successive wins to start his winter campaign after a brilliant first-up effort over 1300m at Royal Randwick two weeks ago. 'I don't think he was quite as sharp today as he was off that hot tempo the other day,'' Pride said. 'Maybe just second up he was a little bit vulnerable today but I would say he will bounce out of this win. 'I don't know if his best trip is 1400m or a mile (1600) yet. We want it to be a mile as there are not as many races around for 1400m races.'' Collett, who completed his treble on Headley Grange after his earlier wins on Callistemon and Lulumon, wasn't legged into the saddle on the Pride sprinter until the Civic Stakes field came out onto the track. Pride, who trained a double in successive races when Accredited won the closer, had made application to Racing NSW stewards to have Headley Grange walked out riderless from the Theatre of the Horse to the course proper. 'At the end of last preparation and again last start, when the jockey mounted Headley Grange he started to suck back and play up a bit in the yard,'' Collett explained. "Nice to see him step up to that higher grade today." Hear from @PrideRacing and Jason Collett on Headley Grange, who won the Civic Stakes today! @aus_turf_club â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 21, 2025 • Brave One's wide run no obstacle in Randwick triumph 'Joe asked the stewards if he could have me legged on last and be last onto the track and that way he is always moving forward and not in that environment. It worked as he was able to stay relaxed.'' The Civic Stakes proved an easy watch for Headley Grange backers as Collett gave the ever-consistent sprinter the smoothest of rides. 'The tempo was solid through the middle section and I had a horse travelling 'lovely' when the opportunity arose pretty early in the straight to pop off,'' Collett said. 'I did although it was a long way from home, especially at that tempo, but he just found another gear. 'When they came to him at the 150 (metres) he went again so that's a really good sign.'' Collett agreed with Pride's assertion that although Headley Grange's win wasn't as dynamic as his first-up effort, the rising five-year-old gelding showed there are better wins in store after he improved his race record to eight wins from 18 starts and nearly $600,000 prizemoney. 'The tempo of that race was different to last start,'' Collett said. 'It was genuinely run but Headley Grange has quickened off it and then he's had to tough it out. 'Both starts he has done it either way. Last start, a turn of foot and today he has had to show he was tough under pressure. They're great attributes to have – he's a really nice horse.''
